South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) project is heading into a critical legal test. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to argue before the Constitutional Court that the NHI is a necessary step to address deep inequality in access to healthcare inherited from apartheid. The case focuses on whether Parliament followed a constitutionally sound public participation process when passing the NHI…
Tag: Cyril Ramaphosa
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Diabetes Crisis: A Public Health Emergency in South Africa
As the diabetes crisis intensifies, civil society organisations are calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare the disease a public health emergency. They are demanding urgent government intervention and dedicated resources to combat the disease’s devastating impact. The unified demand was presented this week at the Diabetes Summit. Here, 350 stakeholders, including academics, civil society groups, industry representatives, and government…
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Good NHI Governance is Crucial to Restoring Trust
If the government is serious about rebuilding public trust in the health sector, it must begin with a critical overhaul of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act’s governance framework. Good NHI governance is imperative for healthcare reform. This call for accountability echoes the loudest demand from the nation’s first national convention in August: a demand for better governance. The convention,…
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BHF Challenges NHI Act Over Public Consultation Flaws
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has intensified its opposition to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. It has launched a direct legal bid to the Constitutional Court to have the controversial legislation declared unlawful and invalid. The BHF challenges the NHI Act, contending that Parliament failed to fulfil its constitutional duty by conducting an improper public consultation process. This…
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GNU faces major showdown over National Health Insurance
The GNU (Government of National Unity) has been hit by its first significant cabinet clash, with ANC and DA ministers at odds over proposed spending plans. The most contentious issue at the centre of the debate is the National Health Insurance (NHI), a plan to reshape South Africa’s healthcare system. Insiders reported that tempers flared during an extended cabinet meeting…