South Africa’s certificate of need ruling has landed a major setback for government plans to direct where health services can operate. The Constitutional Court has declared the “certificate of need” provisions in the National Health Act unconstitutional. The decision ends a long legal fight that has run for more than two decades. The unanimous ruling confirms a 2024 Pretoria High…
Tag: Governance
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National Health Insurance: Minister Meets Medical Association
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has begun fresh engagement with one of his fiercest critics on the National Health Insurance (NHI). He met with the South African Medical Association (Sama) recently to discuss what he called “things we have in common”, despite Sama being among the organisations challenging the National Health Insurance Act in court. The NHI aims to establish a…
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GEMS Contribution Increase Sparks Union Backlash
Trade unions in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) have rejected the Government Employees Medical Scheme’s (GEMS) decision to raise member contributions in 2026. The scheme implemented a 9.8% increase from January 2026. It will then apply a revised 9.5% increase from 1 April 2026. Unions say the hikes are economically unjustifiable and socially regressive. They argue the increases…
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Sizwe Hosmed Curator Replacement Ordered By High Court
The medical schemes regulator has won its bid to replace Sizwe Hosmed’s curator. This successful Sizwe Hosmed curator replacement, according to the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), will not disrupt the scheme. It also stressed that Sizwe Hosmed remains fully operational. A High Court order handed down on Wednesday in Pretoria confirmed Ian Fleming as curator with immediate effect. He…
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Sizwe Hosmed Curatorship Exposes R522m in Duplicate Claims
South Africa’s medical scheme regulator has escalated its fight to keep Sizwe Hosmed under curatorship. An affidavit filed in the High Court in Pretoria alleges serious governance and payment failures at the troubled scheme. The allegations include potential duplicate claims exceeding R522m, stale claims worth R81m, procurement concerns, and alleged misuse of a corporate credit card. The affidavit was filed…
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Gauteng Health Turmoil as MEC Backs Tainted Department Head
Renewed scrutiny dogs Gauteng health’s leadership after Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko publicly defended her former head of department (HOD), Lesiba Malotana, despite a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) lifestyle audit flagging him as “high risk.”This situation highlights the Gauteng Health Turmoil as the province faces pressure over both governance and patient care. Additionally, it adds fuel to an already heated political…
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Sizwe Hosmed Curatorship Under Fresh Scrutiny
The curator of Sizwe Hosmed responded to critics after they launched legal efforts to liquidate her business and sequester her estate. Lebogang Mpakati, a registered business rescue practitioner, said the proceedings are private matters. She said they have no bearing on her ability to stabilise the troubled medical scheme. Mpakati is facing pressure from the scheme’s suspended board of trustees. The…
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Bonitas Medscheme Split Sees Momentum and PHA Win Contracts
The Bonitas Medscheme Split has become a major topic in the South African healthcare sector. Bonitas Medical Fund, South Africa’s second-largest open medical scheme, has confirmed a major supplier shake-up. It will end its long-running administration relationship with Medscheme and hand key roles to Momentum Health and Private Health Administrators (PHA). The changes cover all Bonitas options except Boncap, its…
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Road Accident Fund Insolvency has Deep Roots, Scopa Told
Former Road Accident Fund (RAF) board members have told Parliament that the fund’s crisis is not new. They said the RAF has faced sustained financial distress for more than three decades. In their account, liabilities have exceeded assets since at least 1981. That, they argued, left the fund “technically insolvent” for decades. The testimony was delivered to Parliament’s standing committee…
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Botswana Medicine Shortages Expose Deep Procurement Failures
Across Botswana, patients are growing used to a sentence that lands like a warning. “Ga gona molemo.” Your medication is out of stock. For mothers at clinics, elderly patients and people living with chronic illness, the phrase signals more than inconvenience. It means interrupted treatment, rising anxiety and, in some cases, worsening health. Health experts and former officials say the…
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Gauteng Health Budget Underspending Exposes Service Pressure
The provincial health department’s failure to spend its budget has once again placed Gauteng’s health system under the spotlight. This comes even as hospitals deteriorate and frontline gaps widen. The Gauteng health department projects an underspend of R725 million for the 2025–26 financial year ending 31 March. This is according to an official reply from the finance and economic development…