NHI on hold as Ramaphosa postpones health signing

SOUTH AFRICA – President Cyril Ramaphosa has postponed the signing of the second presidential health compact to next Thursday.

The signing was initially scheduled for today at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The compact aims to address key challenges in the national health system. Following the postponement, Business Unity South Africa CEO Cas Coovadia revealed there had been concerns about the emphasis on National Health Insurance within the draft.

“The draft compact promotes the NHI in its current form as the foundation for healthcare reform,” Coovadia said. “BUSA disagrees with this approach due to significant differences with the government regarding the NHI Act’s appropriateness and feasibility as a tool for universal health coverage.”

Coovadia said the previous compact focused on strengthening the South African health system through immediate improvements, such as better supply chain management and health infrastructure planning. He noted that the current draft deviates from these goals.

Critics, including the South African Medical Association, various healthcare professionals, business organisations, civil rights groups, and political parties, have raised concerns about the government’s capacity to manage the NHI effectively.

Many fear that the NHI, if implemented in its current form, could lead to the collapse of the healthcare system. Coovadia stressed that while universal health coverage is widely supported, alternative methods to achieve it should be explored rather than pursuing an “unaffordable, unworkable, and unconstitutional” NHI model.