Controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill signed into law

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law today during a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Tshwane.

In statements shared on X/Twitter, Ramaphosa highlighted the significance of the heavily contested bill for South Africa’s healthcare system.

President Ramaphosa said, “The real challenge in implementing the NHI lies not in the lack of funds, but in the misallocation of resources that currently favours the private health sector at the expense of public health needs.”

“The effective implementation of the NHI depends on the collective will of the South African people. We all need to embrace a future where healthcare is a shared national treasure, reflective of the dignity and value we accord to every South African life.”

“In signing this Bill, we are signalling our determination to advance the constitutional right to access health care as articulated in Section 27 of the Constitution. The passage of the Bill sets the foundation for ending a parallel inequitable health system where those without…”

“The NHI is an important instrument to tackle poverty. The rising cost of health care makes families poorer. By contrast, health care provided through the NHI frees up resources in poor families for other essential needs. The NHI will make health care in the country as a whole…”

“The NHI is an opportunity to make a break with the inequality and inefficiency that has long characterised our approach to the health of the South African people. Let us work together, in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity, to make the NHI work,” he concluded.