The standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) has decided to ask the Speaker of the National Assembly for permission to lay a criminal charge against former Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo for not appearing before parliament after being summoned.
This is after he failed to appear before the committee on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Committee chairperson, Songezo Zibi, said parliament had issued a summons to Letsoalo earlier this month.
“The summons instructed him to appear before Scopa on 25 and 26 November 2025 to answer questions for purposes of Scopa’s oversight enquiry into the RAF.
“The sheriff made several attempts to serve this summons at Mr Letsoalo’s known addresses, but each attempt failed. The summons was eventually served via a substituted service by publication on social media, email, as well as by the sheriff affixing it to the door,” he said.
Zibi also said the Powers, Privileges, and Immunities Act gives parliament clear authority to summon any person to appear before it, provide evidence under oath, and submit documents when required.
The sheriff attempted to serve summons at Mr Letsoalo’s addresses multiple times but failed. It was ultimately served through social media, email, and by posting it on the door.
— Songezo Zibi, Scopa chairperson
“Late on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, his attorney sent the committee a cease and desist letter in which he asserted that the committee does not have the authority to conduct the enquiry. Should the Speaker concur with the committee, criminal charges will be laid,” he said.
However, in an SABC interview earlier this year, Letsoalo said the committee does not have the authority to look into the affairs of RAF.
“Because that is exclusively the competency of PCOT, the portfolio committee on transport. You would see it in Rule 227 – it’s oversight. They maintain oversight. That is an inquiry that is supposed to be done by the portfolio committee.
“And of course, the standing committee on finance can also exercise those powers of 227. That is in Rule 232. So Rule 245 – there is nothing that says oversight there. It says Scopa considers financials when they are submitted to parliament, not some story about people complaining about this and that,” he said.
Letsoalo also said he never received the summons and will not appear before the committee.
“I’m not going to that kangaroo court, where Songezo Zibi is the chairperson, the evidence leader, the interrogator, the witness selector, and the adjudicator in one. Have you ever seen something like that?
“You arrive there, and people start asking questions about things people were saying; some malicious details about this and that. I’m not interested in that.
“South Africans want to know – call a proper forum. I will go there, and I’ll account. There’s nothing I can’t account for. These guys are interested in nothing about the RAF,” he said.
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