By Faizel Patel at The Citizen
- Transport Minister Barbara Creecy revealed that foreign nationals lodged over R23.3 billion in claims with the Road Accident Fund (RAF) between 2021 and 2026, though this reflects claimed amounts rather than actual payouts.
- The disclosure highlighted that the RAF system does not differentiate between documented and undocumented foreign claimants, culminating in a record high of R8.53 billion in claims lodged in the 2025/26 period alone.
- Labelling the situation a border control failure, the MK Party plans to table a Private Member’s Amendment Bill to Section 17 of the RAF Act to bar undocumented foreign nationals from claiming, require valid documentation and compulsory insurance, and mandate immigration verification.
The MK party has blasted the government for paying billions to foreign nationals through the Road Accident Fund (RAF), calling it proof of South Africa’s “fundamental immigration and border control failure” and vowing to introduce legislation to stop the practice.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy disclosed that foreign nationals have lodged more than R23.3 billion in claims with the RAF over the past five years.
Foreign national RAF claims
The figures, revealed in response to a parliamentary question, showed the RAF system does not distinguish between documented and undocumented claimants, raising concerns about oversight.
“As at 31 March 2026, the total Rand value claimed on foreigner-related claims that were lodged over the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2026 was R23 323 568 682.”
However, Creecy said the figures referred to claims lodged with the RAF and not the actual amount paid out by the fund.
She said the R23.3 billion represents the total value that claimants hoped to receive from the RAF.
‘Shocking’
Responding to Creecy’s disclosure in Parliament that 13 127 foreign claims worth more than R23.3 billion were lodged against the RAF between April 2021 and March 2026, MK party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said the revelation was “shocking” and underscored government’s neglect of citizens.
“Most shockingly, Minister Creecy admitted that the RAF’s claim management system does not differentiate between documented and undocumented foreign nationals. This, alone, exposes the fundamental immigration and border control failure of this government,” Mahlangu charged.
He accused the ANC‑led government of national unity (GNU) of demonising civic organisations that raise service delivery concerns, instead of securing borders and fixing Home Affairs.
“These are South Africans demanding what every sovereign state does: put its citizens first. While South Africans wait years for payouts and the RAF claims to be insolvent, billions are being claimed by people who are not even supposed to be in the country,” Mahlangu said.
Money better used
The MK party argued that the R23.3 billion claimed should be redirected to address collapsing infrastructure, unemployment, and failing municipalities. Mahlangu contrasted South Africa’s system with international norms:
“When a South African leaves for another country, they are required to produce certified medical insurance to cover you in the event of an accident. Why is South Africa a free‑for‑all, where anyone can enter illegally and then claim billions from the state?”
Plans
To address what it calls systemic abuse, the MK party announced plans to table a Private Member’s Amendment Bill to Section 17 of the RAF Act. The proposed changes would:
- Prohibit claims by undocumented foreign nationals.
- Require valid documents such as passports, visas, and compulsory accident insurance for any foreign claim.
- Reconfigure RAF systems to verify immigration status with Home Affairs before processing claims.
Fluctuations
The figures revealed sharp fluctuations in foreigner‑related RAF claims over five years.
In 2021/22, claims stood at R5.05 billion, rising slightly to R5.49 billion in 2022/23. Claims then dropped sharply in 2023/24 to just R1.35 billion before climbing again to R2.89 billion in 2024/25.
The steepest surge came in 2025/26, when claims skyrocketed to R8.53 billion – the highest on record.
This article was republished from The Citizen. Read the original here.
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