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The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has welcomed the ten-year prison sentence handed down to Thandi Magwaza, a former employee, by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court. Magwaza, who worked as a Claims Handler, was sentenced to 12 years, with two years suspended for five years.
In November 2019, Magwaza demanded R500,000 from a claimant, promising to speed up their payment in return. She asked for an initial payment of R50,000 in cash. The claimant reported the incident to the RAF’s Durban regional office, leading to an investigation by the RAF’s Forensic Investigation Department (FID). In February 2020, a joint undercover operation involving the FID and the South African Police Service resulted in her arrest.
RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo expressed satisfaction with the outcome, saying,
“The sentence is a fitting end to our and the police’s investigation. It shows our commitment to rooting out corruption within and outside our ranks is paying off. The RAF will continue to combat corruption by employees, claimants, attorneys, medical experts, and other stakeholders.”
Between 2020 and 2023, RAF’s internal investigations led to the suspension of seven employees. During further investigations and hearings, six employees chose to resign. The RAF remains committed to protecting road accident victims and ensuring funds are used properly.
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