Family’s plea for compensation

Timothy Dastile and Nontsomi January need help.

A Cape Town family is pleading for help to get compensation from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) after they were involved in a horrible car accident.

The January family of Town Two, Khayelitsha, were involved in a car accident in 2011 and nine years after the incident in which the mother broke her legs and sustained injury to her ears, and which left the father depressed, they are upset that they’ve received nothing from the RAF despite having submitting the required paperwork.

They cannot remember how the accident happened, but do recall that it took place in Leeu Gamka while they were on their way back from the funeral of their daughter Noziqhamo Dansta.

Mom Nontsomi January, who cannot walk, and dad Timothy Dastile who walks with difficulty and suffers from depression, live in an RDP house. Their daughter, Thuliswa January-Tshofela said over the years they had approached the RAF for compensation but each time they went they are sent from pillar to post. She said they had even approached lawyers who tried to help but nothing has come of it.

“My parents are very desperate to leave Cape Town. But the hold-up is the compensation from the RAF. We have tried everything to get the compensation. We have filled every piece of paper and submitted all the needed documents but until now we have not heard a thing.

“This adds more trauma to them. I had to come home and assist them because they are alone. We are seeking help from anyone who can assist now,” she said.

Nontsomi January said she needs the money to take care of his daily needs. “I still don’t know exactly what happened to the car we were travelling in. I only remember waking up in hospital. All I know is that we were coming from a funeral in the Eastern Cape.

“It is now difficult to walk. I have a husband that was also in that car accident who is now mentally not okay. With the money I could have done a lot towards our health.

“That money would have improved our health. But I also want to go settle back in the Eastern Cape because we are old and crippled,” she said.

She said it has been difficult to deal with the RAF and they have had to resubmit forms and that she had turned to the media as a last resort after the woman she had been liaising with at the RAF allegedly blocked her calls.

“Please, I want to leave the province and settle back home. I beg you as the media investigate this for me. We want to find closure on the issue and continue with our poor lives,” she pleaded.

When Vukani referred this matter to the RAF for a response in September, their spokesman Ernest Nkuna promised to investigate and provide Vukani with feedback. However, he has not done so. If he responds, we will publish his response in Vukani.