Cosatu to picket at Concourt as NHI legal battle begins
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and its affiliates are set to stage a picket outside the Constitutional Court of South Africa as a legal challenge against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act gets underway.
The case, brought by the Board of Healthcare Funders, will be heard from Tuesday to Thursday, with the organisation seeking to have the Act declared invalid.
Cosatu says it will mobilise in support of the NHI, describing it as a necessary intervention to address inequalities in South Africa’s healthcare system.
Spokesperson Zanele Sabela says the federation believes the NHI is essential to achieving universal healthcare.
"Cosatu and its Affiliates view the NHI as the only path to achieving equitable universal health coverage, putting an end to the two unequal systems currently in place, which are remnants of apartheid - one for people with money and another for the poor and the working class."
Cosatu has also dismissed claims by the Board of Healthcare Funders that the consultation process leading up to the Act's signing was flawed.
"Cosatu believes the BHF’s argument that the consultative process the NHI Bill underwent prior to being signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa was flawed, does not hold water because the process was incredibly extensive and inclusive over more than five years of intense negotiations and engagements at Nedlac and in Parliament."
Cosatu further argued that opposition to the NHI is premature, as the government has indicated that implementation will be phased in over time.
"The Federation also believes the BHF and other parties that have lodged legal challenges against the Act are jumping the gun. Government’s plan is to launch the NHI gradually, in stages, not overnight," Sabela added.
Sabela also pointed to rising medical aid costs as evidence of the need for reform.
"At this rate, soon no one will be able to afford medical aid cover. Similar price gouging has been found by other medical schemes."
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has previously raised concerns about the sustainability of the country’s healthcare system, highlighting disparities between public and private sector funding.
Cosatu says it will continue to support government efforts to defend the NHI Act, arguing that the current system is both inequitable and unsustainable.
