Motoring Expert Calls for General Fuel Levy and RAF to Be Scrapped, South Africans Weigh In

• Driving.co.za Managing Director Rob Handfield-Jones made suggestions about the General Fuel Levy and the Road Accident Fund
• Handfield-Jones discussed the problems with each, and how they could be improved for the betterment of the country's motorists
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the motoring expert's suggestions, sharing mixed reactions to his comments

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG - A motoring industry expert has called on the government to fundamentally overhaul fuel taxation in South Africa, arguing that both the General Fuel Levy (GFL) and the Road Accident Fund levy are failing motorists and the broader economy.

Rob Handfield-Jones, managing director of Driving.co.za, told MyBroadband that the GFL was not ring-fenced for road maintenance, a situation he described as problematic.

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"But that was a political decision taken several decades ago. The government could reverse it if they wished, but it seems that general spending priorities rank higher than road maintenance," he said.

Replacing the fuel levy with a distance-based tax

Handfield-Jones proposed scrapping the GFL entirely and replacing it with a kilometres-based tax applied to all vehicles, meaning motorists would contribute in proportion to how far they drive. He acknowledged, however, that such a shift could prove to be politically uncomfortable.

"I have a feeling that it might be politically sensitive, which might account for the Minister's decision to finalise it only in 2027," he said, referring to the Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources' plan to complete its review of the fuel price formula by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.

He also dismissed concerns that the rise of electric and hybrid vehicles was meaningfully eroding GFL revenue, saying that the total number of new energy vehicles on South Africa's roads is currently less than one ten-thousandth of the total, and thus barely constitutes a rounding error in GFL collections.

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He added that while this might become relevant in future, it does not represent a problem currently experienced.

Scrapping the RAF

On the Road Accident Fund, Handfield-Jones was equally direct in his thoughts.

"Scrap the idea of a monolithic central fund to handle crash injury claims, since it's clearly wasteful, inefficient, and prone to incompetence and corruption," he said.

He argued that in its place, there should be legislation that requires every vehicle owner to purchase their own insurance cover.

South Africans react to the proposal

Social media users shared varied reactions to the proposal, as the GLF and RAF remain a huge talking point in the country.

Phenyo Tshenye agreed:

“Cut the General Fuel Levy and Road Accident Fund levy.

Michael Nannucci noted:

"Between the law profession that profits off it, and cronies stealing from it, I doubt it will amount to much more than another talking session."

@jacque0001 said:

“Taxation on fuel is hands down the most moronic thing to do regarding real inflation. That one rand per litre has a compounding effect on all goods and services. There should be zero taxation on fuel.”

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@IamGZATW added:

“The RAF is still being bled by attorneys. Are they being investigated yet? Scrap this useless add-on; it's already failed.”

Fana Majabula stated:

“This I want to see.”

Banele Phumlani Mdakane noted:

“Remember that voting is near. Everything will seem to be fixed, then it’s back to reset.”

Tom Braune suggested:

"The government is bankrupt. If they lower fuel tax, they will just raise it somewhere else."

RAF must include undocumented foreigners in compensation, Supreme Court rules

Briefly News reported that the Supreme Court ruled that the RAF must compensate all road accident victims, including undocumented foreign nationals.

The ruling follows an appeal against a decision of the Gauteng High Court, which set aside a directive requiring foreign nationals to prove their legal presence in the country.

The RAF challenged the ruling at the SCA, arguing that undocumented foreign nationals should be excluded from the scheme.

Source: Briefly News