22 January 2003
The South African Communist Party welcomes the report of the Satchwell Commission on the progressive reform of the Road Accident Fund. The SACP specifically welcomes the proposed creation of a Road Accident Benefit Scheme which will be part of a comprehensive social security system serving, above all, those who are left most destitute by road accidents instead of being a zama-zama court based lottery that enriches legal and medical professionals and encourages fraud. As part of our 2002 Red October Campaign for a comprehensive social security system , we have been closely monitoring developments around the RAF. The 2002 Red October campaign called for the complete restructuring of the Fund.
The most glaring problems in the RAF include the cumbersome and user-unfriendly claims process, the class bias of the majority of RAF awards. Currently the RAF makes “loss of earnings” calculations based on one ’s class position in society. There is a limit (R20 000) on the awards made to victims who are travelling in public transport, like mini-buses. While those injured while travelling in cars are often awarded millions. It is clearly outrageous that awards from the Fund, a national public resource, are based on such inequitable grounds, especially when millions of disabled South African have to survive on a pittance.
The SACP will engage with government, parliament, the South African Commuters Organisation, the Disabled People of South Africa and other relevant formations to ensure that the recommendations of the Satchwell Commission are followed and acted upon.
The SACP calls on the Law Society of South Africa to support this process. In October 2002, this organisation insisted that lawyers be paid their personal and company fees directly from the Fund when an award is made to a victim. This was an indication that many lawyers continue to see the Fund as primarily an opportunity for personal accumulation, with the actual victims coming a distant second. It also serves as an indication that many in the legal fraternity may well intend to put up a bitter fight to resist any serious restructuring of the RAF.
The SACP takes this opportunity to warn those who intend to resist serious restructuring of the Fund, for their own private accumulation purposes, that they will face the mobilised anger of many ordinary South Africans.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Information, Media and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel – 011 339 3621; Fax – 011 339 4244; Cell – 083 651 0271
Email – mazibuko@sacp.org.za