Cape Town - Lawmakers in the health committee in the National Assembly agreed to a compromise to postpone making final amendments to the contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill yesterday.
The NHI Bill process - which started in 2019 - is aimed at providing universal access to quality health care for every South African as promised in the Constitution.
Last week, the DA - which vehemently opposes the NHI Bill - walked out of a health committee meeting in objection to what they called the ANC’s “blatant attempt” to ram the bill through Parliament.
The EFF also rejects the NHI in its current form.
The DA is on record as saying the NHI would be used by the ANC as a vehicle to commit corruption.
Yesterday’s sitting kicked off with disagreements regarding a legal opinion that was sought by opposition parties, which also expressed disappointment in how the ANC appeared to rail-road the discussions on the bill.
The sitting was scheduled so that final amendments could be made before the bill is submitted to the National Assembly for debate, and tabled in the National Council of Provinces.
Health committee chairperson ANC MP Dr Kenneth Jacobs proposed a compromise: MPs were to take a day or two during constituency week, next week, to consider the bill.
Three political parties, including the ANC, agreed in principle with the proposal and said they would take it to their chief whips.
Jacobs asked the parties to return with responses by Monday.