Road Accident Fund claimant Mgoboli Lewis received an early birthday gift when Transport Minister Dipuo Peters visited him during RAF on the Road’s 25th outreach campaign in Northern Cape’s Galeshewe Township yesterday.

Lewis is one of thousands of crash victims who currently benefit from RAF’s Patient Outreach Programme, which provides various support such as comprehensive rehabilitation, wheelchairs, caregivers and home adjustments, including ramps and special ablution facilities to improve the quality of their lives. While claimants, family members and friends lined up at a packed Abantu Community Hall to make enquiries, lodge new claims, accept settlement offers, and register complaints about their crooked legal representatives, Lewis received Minister Peters and a high powered delegation made up of top government officials and RAF executives at his home in the township. Accompanied by the likes of Northern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Ntsikelelo Jack, Mayor Khadi Moloi and Speaker Brummer Maribe of the Francis Baard District Municipality, the Minister heard how the Fund had provided assistance to Lewis since his accident in 2000, providing a wheelchair, modifying his home, appointing a caregiver and paying for annual checkups to an urologist. “The RAF has been with me throughout my recovery,” said Lewis. “I am so grateful to them that the case managers have now become a part of my family.” Meanwhile, back at the hall, several claimants left satisfied with a total of R10.75 million’s worth of settlements being made by the end of the day. Page 2 of 2

In total, about 700 people responded to RAF’s call to approach the Fund and raise their queries or finalise their claims directly. When Minister Peters addressed claimants during a tour of the venue, she said it was important to remove the middle man. “If we don’t, not all the money will come directly to the people.” She issued a stern warning to “cool drink” traffic police who allow unroadworthy vehicles on the road which ultimately cause fatal accidents and create a legacy of orphans and poverty. RAF CEO Dr Eugene Watson concurred, reiterating that every six seconds, a person died in an accident on South African roads. About 40 died in total per day while 800 were injured – approximately 20 badly. This has an adverse financial impact on government’s resources and the country’s economy. The Minister also encouraged people to approach the RAF’s Hospital Service Centre at Kimberley Hospital and believed that with the impending opening of a regional office in the province, the Fund would become even more accessible to claimants in the province. Clyde Ortell at RAF’s office in Kimberley Hospital said his office was dealing with well in excess 50 cases at the moment, but they were concerned that people are not optimally utilising the undertakings certificates given to them by the Fund for medical care or treatment of accident related injuries. If claimants approached their offices, they would be able to make referrals and facilitate payments of the treatment. MEC Jack said he was grateful that many were benefitting from RAF on the Road but he encouraged people to be responsible with the payouts.

Reflective uniform was handed over to Progress and Montshiwa primary schools as part of the RAF’s road safety programme among school children. The uniform is worn at scholar patrol crossings in order to instill safe and responsible road behaviour amongst the youth.