NHI: An excuse to ‘loot’ and ‘tax South Africans blind’

EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu has slammed the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, claiming it lacks logic and is misguided.

The controversial bill was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday to much applause and criticism.

The Act aims to provide free universal health care to all South Africans. It has been slammed by some who claim it will collapse private medical care and decline health care services.

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While health minister Joe Phaahla urged medical professionals and citizens to ignore the “doomsayers”, Shivambu said those celebrating the signing were only doing so “because it’s the last time the man [Ramaphosa] signs anything into law.”

Government failure

It sparked a war of words with ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who labelled Shivambu’s comments as petty.

“We’re told this is the ‘left’ we can rely on to move forward the transformation agenda. Such pettiness that they can’t read the momentous occasion of the signing of the NHI Bill into law! They join the chorus of counter-revolution!”

Shivambu hit back, saying the Act was neither left nor progressive. He said the Act was trying to fix a crisis of funding when the collapse of health care was down to a failure of governance.

“There’s also nothing logical about it because the crisis of health care in South Africa is not funding. It’s a crisis of the dismal failure to prioritise primary health care and also the government’s failure to build a responsible responsive single-tier health care system.

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“NHI in its current [form] will present an opportunity to scrupulous health care institutions to withdraw from the fund without doing any work. There’s nothing momentous about Ramaphosa’s NHI.”

A scheme to loot and ‘tax South Africans blind’

DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille claimed the Act was an excuse for the ruling party to loot funds.

“The ANC’s main motivation for the NHI is clear. They want to tax South Africans blind to create a R1-Trillion fund to loot. They have run out of money to loot in Eskom, Transnet, SAA, PRASA, etc. Don’t be fooled. That is the purpose,” she claimed.

While some agreed with her, others said they were already being “looted” by medical aid companies that charged high premiums and offered little services.

NHI addressing inequality- Ramaphosa

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Ramaphosa said the Act would go a long way in addressing inequality in health care.

“The NHI takes a bold stride towards a society where no individual must bear an untenable financial burden while seeking medical attention.

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“The public sector serves a large majority of the population but faces budget constraints. The private sector serves a fraction of society at a far higher cost without a proportional improvement in health outcomes.

“Addressing this imbalance requires a radical reimagining of resource allocation and a steadfast commitment to universal healthcare, a commitment we made to the United Nations.”