South Africa’s Parliament announced the start of an oversight inquiry into the financial and governance failures of the Road Accident Fund (RAF).

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), chaired by Songezo Zibi, will lead the process, which aims to uncover years of alleged corruption, maladministration, and mismanagement at the state insurer. The RAF, mandated to compensate road accident victims, has faced repeated audit disclaimers and rising legal costs since 2019.

The inquiry will run from 7 October to mid-November, with testimony from the Department of Transport, the Auditor-General of South Africa, the Special Investigating Unit, and other oversight bodies. Zibi said the process would set a precedent for accountability across public institutions, promising harsh measures against those responsible for misconduct. SCOPA’s final report is due to be tabled before the National Assembly in December.