Chair, I think Minister Manuel was absolutely right when he spoke about the RAF. There is a systemic design failure. I have, for a number of years, been asking the department to look into this particular problem. We are consciously aware that the fund is technically bankrupt. We had a very expensive sectoral report which has been tabled and is now gathering dust in the corridors of power, Minister. A lot of our pleas have really fallen on deaf ears. This is the second tranche we put into this fund. I am just wondering now whether or not it is appropriate.
Effectively, as we stand at this very moment, we have a situation where the fund does not actually even make a payment to one claimant, irrespective of whether any offers have been made. This is a very bad reflection on the 350 000 people who are backlogged in this fund. I just wonder now whether we are not just putting more money into a bottomless pit. I want to ask the Minister whether he would consider making this appropriation conditional on the fact that there is a total restructuring of the fund, which will enable the over 1 000 very expensive lawyers to be made, redeployed or be converted into a particular administrators so that we can administrate this fund as it should be - as a third-party insurance fund.
The second thing is that we should maybe consider placing a moratorium on any money going out of the country in foreign claims, considering that we cannot even pay for our claims in our own country.
Thirdly, we should consider whether in fact the best way to solve this is not just to raise the present levy we have on fuel. [Interjections.] [Time expired.] UNGQONGQOSHE WEZOKUTHUTHA: Sihlalo, umnunzane uFarrow uyazi ukuthi yiziphi izinqumo esizithathile singuhulumeni sisebenzisana neSikhwama Sezingozi Zomgwaqo. Uzokhumbula futhi ukuthi kunomthetho esesiwushayile wokuthi abameli akufanele kube yibona abathola imali yezinxephezelo. Kufanele thina siyiRAF sinikeze labo abalahlekelwe ababaziyo ezingozini kodwa inkantolo lapha eKapa yasihlula. Sisazobuye silucubungulisise lolo daba ngoba izimali eziningi njengoba wazi zithathwa ngabameli.
Okwesibili futhi singuhulumeni sihambisana nazo iziphakamiso zika Satchwell zokuthi kube khona umthetho ozothi uma umuntu ehlelwe yingozi, singabuzi ukuthi ubani onecala phecelezi ino-fault. Leyo iyeza ngakho-ke zonke lezi zinto mina ngiyaqiniseka mnumzane Farrow, ukuthi uyazazi ngoba neSikhulu eSiphezulu sakwaRAF sikeseza kwiKomidi lePhalamende sanichazela ukuthi yiziphi izinto esizohlala phezu kwazo ukuze lolu daba silucubungulisise kahle.
Le mali lena ekhishiwe engu R2,5 billion izosiza ukuze sikwazi ukuthi sikhokhele labo asebezifakile izicelo zokunxephezelwa. Uqinisile ukuthi isimo sezimali seRAF asikho sihle, lokho kwenziwa nje ukuthi kunobugebengu obuningi obenziwa futhi abameli abakhwabanisayo. Angisho ukuthi bonke abameli bangabakhwabanisi kodwa baningi abakhwabanisa izimali zabantu okufanele ngabe ziya kubona bese ziza emaphaketheni abo. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Chairperson, hon Farrow is aware of the decisions we have taken as government in working with the Road Accident Fund. You will also remember that we have passed an Act which provides that lawyers should not receive the compensation. It should be us as RAF who should forward those funds to those who have lost their loved ones in road accidents, but the Cape High Court ruled against us. We will review this issue again because, as you know, most of these funds are taken by the lawyers.
Secondly, as government, we agree with the proposal made by Satchwell which states that there should be an Act which will stipulate that, if someone was involved in an accident, we should not ask who was at fault. We are coming to that one. I am therefore confident, hon Farrow, about these issues, and that you are aware of them because even the CEO of RAF attended one of the committee meetings where he explained to you which of the issues we are going to focus on so as to review this case thoroughly.
The sum of R2,5 billion, which has been issued, will enable us to pay those who have forwarded their applications for compensation. You are telling the truth when you say that the state of finances in the RAF is not good, and that is because there is too much corruption going on there, which is conducted by fraudulent lawyers. I am not saying that all lawyers are fraudulent but most of them fraudulently pocket funds which were meant for the victims of road accidents. Thank you.]
Vote No 34 - Water Affairs and Forestry: