Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane lambasted the signing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill; he described it as an “election gimmick”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill a few weeks ago, explaining that the bill will signal the end of private healthcare, a move that opposition political parties, civil societies, and a number of South Africans at large have criticised.
“This is an election gimmick; we believe that we need a hybrid model upon which ultimately South Africans can benefit from both public and private healthcare. We want to make sure that if you are a South African who needs a new healthcare system, you can go to a private hospital, and the state will underwrite that, but in the same way that a private medical aid owner can go to a state facility and pay for it. That is how a hybrid model works,” Maimane said.
BOSA member Kathryn Berman, who is number four on the candidate list, said she is confident the party is going to Parliament and make inputs in policies to put citizens first.
Asked about her take on the NHI Bill, Berman said she is very lucky to work with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, where she has seen the best of public and private partnerships where children get the best healthcare, including dialysis.
“I am deeply distressed that an imperfect NHI bill has been rushed out, and now we have got to correct it. Will my old comrade Ramaphosa still be the president? ... We will fix it anyway, but no more rushing bills at the last minute. I loved that gender-based violence and femicide have been felt, but we can't carry on running our country like this,” Berman said.
In a few days, millions of South Africans are going to vote for their party that they want to govern the country. At this point, it is unknown who will emerge victorious.
Maimane said for 30 years this (ANC-run) government has squandered its opportunity to forge a shared heritage for South Africa.
“For 30 years, this government has failed to capitalise on the goodwill of South Africans and the diverse talent pool of this country.
“For 30 years, this government has failed to weave a social fabric of resilience that is attractive to all. Let us lift our eyes to the future. The next 30 years are ours to own, ours to shape a new shared future we can all be proud of.
“That is what this election is about. Let each of us turn out to vote for our hopes and not our fears, to vote for our tomorrow and not our yesterday. This may be our last moment for a long time to come. Let us vote to put a job in every home. Let us vote for change. Let us vote BOSA,” Maimane said.
The Star