The civil rights organisation AfriForum today submitted written comments to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) rejecting the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. The original deadline for public submissions was extended to 15 September 2023.

Through this submission AfriForum has added its voice alongside a growing number of healthcare industry role-players, as well as medical scheme members who are seeing the devastating potential effects that this Bill could cause and are raising public pressure against its passing before the NCOP. AfriForum’s written comments is based on thorough research and takes into account the unique challenges to healthcare provision in South Africa.

According to Louis Boshoff, Campaign Officer at AfriForum, the organisation is concerned about the government’s desire to centralise healthcare even further. “We are troubled by the lack of transparency and critical details surrounding the proposed National Health Insurance scheme. Despite years of discussions and policy papers, South Africans are still in the dark about key aspects such as cost, funding sources, and implementation strategy. This raises serious questions about the true motives behind the NHI.”

AfriForum’s position on the NHI is based on several key issues, such as lack of clarity, limited fiscal capacity, constitutional infringements, further centralisation of power in the hands of the state and bureaucratic overreach. The organisation is also poised to continue opposing the Bill through all possible means should it pass before the NCOP.

“Our primary concern is that the NHI will likely turn into a massively expensive failure that neither improves healthcare quality nor accessibility for the South African population. The NHI will also violate the constitutional rights of millions of South Africans by forcing them to rely on a healthcare plan that was doomed from the start and outlawing the use of private alternatives,” states Boshoff.

AfriForum urges interested parties to contribute their written comments to the NCOP before the 15 September 2023 deadline. The organisation believes that public participation is crucial to ensure that legislation is aligned to the real needs of the South African people.

Members of the public can submit their comments against the proposed NHI Bill at Stop NHI!