Medical doctor Zonke Mrenqwa-Mazwi (42) operating in the district of Mbizana made her first appearance in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes court last week.

She was charged with fraud relating to claims of R18m made against the Road Accident Fund (RAF), and she was granted R10 000 bail.

The case has been postponed to March 28 for the state to furnish the defence with docket contents and for a trial date to be set.

Luxolo Tyali, spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, said the doctor is alleged to have submitted false Statutory Medical Reports (SMR) on behalf of RAF claimants involved in at least nine motor vehicle accidents in the Mbizana, Flagstaff and Port Shepstone areas dating back to 2008.

One of the accidents involved a minibus taxi.

“When claimants lodge a claim against RAF, the SMR must be completed on a prescribed form by a medical practitioner who treated the deceased or injured person for bodily injuries. The merits of any claim rely heavily on the accuracy of the information contained in the SMR,” said Tyali.

Mrenqwa-Mazwi is alleged to have supplied false information to attorneys claiming on behalf of claimants to the effect that she was the first medical practitioner to have treated them after their accidents.

By so doing, she caused the attorneys to prepare and submit claims which were fraudulent.

RAF investigations revealed that Mrenqwa-Mazwi had backdated the SMRs and had in fact never seen, nor examined or treated any of the claimants. RAF referred the matter to the South African Police Commercial Crimes Unit, which led to her arrest.

As a result of her misrepresentation RAF suffered an actual prejudice of R510 000, which was already paid to claimants.

The potential prejudice suffered by RAF is R18,5 million, which could have been paid out, had the scam not been uncovered.