President Ramaphosa Announces South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his intention to sign into law a National Health Insurance (NHI) bill during a press conference in Cape Town on Thursday.
The bill, designed to achieve universal health coverage for all South Africans, awaits Ramaphosa’s approval after being passed by lawmakers last year.
Although no specific timeframe was provided, Ramaphosa assured journalists that the implementation of the bill, which will be rolled out in stages and require significant financial commitment worth billions of dollars.
The legislation represents a significant shift from the current two-tier healthcare system, which promotes deep racial and social disparities persisting since the end of apartheid.
Conversely, the bill has faced opposition from business groups, including Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Business for South Africa (B4SA), who express concerns about its potential negative impact on the healthcare sector and the country’s fragile economy.
Although supporting the move towards universal health coverage, these groups have called for amendments to the bill before its final enactment, emphasizing the importance of careful design and implementation.