Collins Letsoalo, the CEO of the Road Accident Fund, claims that because his contract expires in August 2025, some people are trying to portray him as corrupt and incompetent.
Speaking on Monday during a media briefing held at the RAF head offices in Centurion, Pretoria, Letsoalo claimed that some people are on a “fishing expedition” to bring up old accusations against him and get his name in the media for the wrong reasons.
Letsoalo was reacting to a Sunday Times story that said he was linked to potential misconduct involving a R79-million lease for the fund’s regional offices in Johannesburg, according to a preliminary report from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
The article stated that in its preliminary findings, the SIU found that Letsoalo allegedly interfered with supply chain processes in the appointment of Mowana Properties.
According to the SIU, Letsoalo was not in favour of a nine-year lease with a service provider recommended by the bid evaluation committee.
Proper procedures were followed
He said the RAF followed proper procedures and legal prescripts in acquiring its Joburg regional offices.
“I sleep very well at night. When a police vehicle passes by and I hear its siren, I sleep nicely at night,” he said.
“This is a rehashed whistleblower report. When people are on a fishing expedition, they rehash things from 2021, 2022, and 2023 to make sure that my name is in the media for the wrong reasons.
“My contract is ending in August, and [already] there are people who are fixing certain narratives and attacking me and my colleagues. This is about me because my contract is coming to an end. I am not going anywhere,” said Letsoalo.
He described how RAF obtained the offices, stating that it requested help from Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to purchase an office block but was not able to get this help.
The fund then made contact with the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), he said.
“The PIC said we should go to Mowana Properties because it manages a property portfolio owned by the Government Employees Pension Fund. Mowana gave us three buildings to assess,” he said.
Mowana are not my friends
According to Letsoalo, RAF applied to the Treasury to depart from standard procurement procedures since, between 2013 and 2018, no acceptable tender was received for the appropriate office space.
He said the tender was first advertised in 2013.
Letsoalo went on to say that despite seven advertisements for the tender between 2013 and 2018, no acceptable bid was received. Accordingly, he said, it justified the RAF’s departure from standard procurement procedures.
“I do not know who Mowana is; they are not friends of mine. The idea that I am a rogue CEO who is running amok will never stand the test of time. There is evidence to suggest otherwise.
“I am not perturbed by the allegations against me. My work of turning RAF around does not benefit lawyers, medical schemes, doctors, and actuaries. That is why they do not like me.”
