COSATU urges Parliament to conclude passage of the long delayed National Health Insurance Bill
29 November 2023
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) urges Parliament to conclude passage of the long delayed National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. The Federation is deeply dismayed government wilted like a cheap suit under pressure from a little bit of lobbying by business to delay today’s scheduled passage of the NHI Bill by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Pandering to the vested interests of private industry’s insatiable lust for profits at the expense of the health of millions of ordinary South Africans marks a dark day in our democracy.
The NHI Bill and policy mandate have been adopted by Cabinet, passed by the National Assembly and received overwhelming support from thousands of workers attending public hearings on the NHI Bill over the past 4 years. The Federation remains convinced that South Africa’s myriad of healthcare crises require the creation of a National Health Insurance (NHI).
Government and the NCOP should not place the profit margins of private industry above the needs of society. We need government to speak with one voice as this level of policy uncertainty is not helpful. The ANC needs to exert itself and remind government and the NCOP that the NHI is an ANC policy mandate not some seasonal slogan.
COSATU and the overwhelming majority of workers are in support of an NHI. It is a government policy and market failure that 29 years into democracy most South Africans, in particular the working class, lack access to quality and affordable health care. This is not due to lack of resources but to their blatantly skewed distribution.