NHI Bill: 'Lots of people are going to litigate' - Business for SA

A stand-off between the ANC and business lobby groups seems to be on the cards.

SA Inc. is urging President Cyril Ramaphosa, who last week indicated he is ready to sign the NHI Bill into law, to not put his stamp on the legislation in its current form.

Many organisations, including Business For South Africa, have written to Ramaphosa to discourage him from signing off on the Bill, arguing it needs to be fleshed out first.

They're threatening legal action should it become law.

Business for South Africa's (B4SA) Martin Kingston says an impasse over the Bill will serve no one, but adds that the Bill isn't fit for purpose as it currently stands:

"I sincerley hope that isn't the case, because I'm not sure that that would garner the ANC, or anybody else, any more votes than they might get."

- Martin Kingston, Chair  - Business for South Africa

"The reality is, if the President signs the Bill into law as it is now, and that's what we have expressed our concern about... I suspect there's a lot of people who are going to litigate."

- Martin Kingston, Chair  - Business for South Africa

"It will effectivley be stillborn. It won't proceed until such time as the courts have applied their minds to it."

- Martin Kingston, Chair  - Business for South Africa

Kingston argues that the NHI Bill in its current form fails to 'pass Constitutional muster', either procedurally or substantively.

"The provisons don't enable it to be enacted immediatley, by which I mean, it's not as if there's going to be universal healthcare to those who need it and don't have it currently with immediate effect."

- Martin Kingston, Chair  - Business for South Africa

The objective of the NHI Bill is to provide universal access to quality health care for all South Africans.

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