Solidarity warns Ramaphosa: Sign the NHI and legal action will follow  

14 May 2024

On the eve of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the destructive National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, Solidarity wrote to him that within an hour of him signing the NHI Bill, it would start with a legal process against this Bill.

This follows the presidency’s announcement of Ramaphosa signing this Bill tomorrow afternoon (May 15) at an official ceremony that will take place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Solidarity says in this letter of demand that it will fight the Bill at every level possible and it further warned President Ramaphosa that it will ask the court to make an order as to costs in the personal capacities of the President as well as the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla.

According to Dr Dirk Hermann, chief executive of Solidarity, the government will force healthcare in the country to its knees with the ratification of this Bill.

“If the President signs the NHI Bill, knowing that it contains substantial flaws, he is certainly also responsible for the consequences thereof. This piece of legislation will be detrimental to all South Africans. 

“The NHI Bill is populist, irrational and unaffordable. To put the entire the country’s health at risk for the sake of votes is extremely reckless,” said Hermann. 

In the court documents, Solidarity will clearly outline how the NHI is unaffordable and not nearly free, as the government likes to proclaim. The failure of the government to do a proper cost analysis will also be pointed out.

“Solidarity is not fighting against the NHI, but for healthcare. Stopping the NHI is good for public and private healthcare. The more private services are provided, the more capacity is created particularly for the state,” said Hermann. 

“Moreover, South Africa already has a system that ensures access to healthcare, but unfortunately the system has become sick.”

In the letter of demand to the president, Solidarity says that the entire Bill and the procedures that followed were unconstitutional and that it cannot in any way be declared law in its current format. 

It is demanded that President Ramaphosa use his powers to immediately stop the legislative process on the NHI. Click here for the for the letter of demand.

Issued by Dirk Hermann, Solidarity: Chief Executive Officer, 14 May 2024