ANC and Motsoaledi apparently still in a dream world about NHI

12 July 2024

Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s longing to introduce the National Health Insurance Plan as a tool to correct inequalities is testimony of his distorted idea of the reality regarding healthcare. 

Solidarity would rather see cabinet members in the newly formed government of national unity walking away from the NHI ideas which, according to all indications, will result in disaster for all South Africans.

Yet Motsoaledi began his return as health minister on another false note with his statements in which he presented the NHI as an “equaliser”.

“It is precisely because South Africa is the most unequal country in the world that the NHI won’t function here. 

“It will mean that the middle class and the rich – a shrinking group of people – will be further used as the state’s cash cow, without any efforts being made to really lift the poor out of poverty,” said Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI). 

According to him, such a system can only function in a country where everyone contributes in equal measure, and even then it does not function very well. 

“In terms of the extended definition of unemployment in South Africa, 42,4% of the population will not be able to contribute to the funding of the NHI at all. If it only pertained to inequality in healthcare outcomes, one might have been able to pay attention to the minister. However, this inequality stems from a mixture of poverty and the state’s inability.

“Contrary to what his proposal says, people getting world-class treatment in private hospitals is exactly what we want. We would like to see state hospitals also move in that direction as much as possible, rather than private healthcare being dismantled by the NHI in the name of ‘equal care’,” Du Buisson said.

Solidarity served court documents on the government on 24 May this year, and the organisation will fight the unconstitutional, unworkable and unaffordable system in court with all its might. 

Issued by Theuns du Buisson, Economic Researcher: Solidarity Research Institute, 12 July 2024