‘We are in government now’: John Steenhuisen says despite disagreement on NHI, courts will only be last resort
Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen on Thursday night expressed optimism that members of the government of national unity will negotiate to find common ground on National Health Insurance.
Reacting to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening of Parliament address in Cape Town, Steenhuisen said there is no consensus yet on the implementation of the NHI, but the parties will continue to negotiate.
“I do not think that any party to the GNU does not believe that we need to have universal access to basic healthcare for every South African regardless of their economic status. The differences of opinion is on the the best way to achieve this, how to fund it and whether you need to remove the choice for citizens around the private healthcare sector as well,” Steenhuisen, who is now Minister of Agriculture, told journalists.
“I think that we can find each other. I think there is a commitment by the president, both in the Cabinet lekgotla and again tonight, that we will consult each other, we will consult industry players to try and find a way in which we can achieve the goal that we all want – universal access to basic healthcare for all South Africans regardless of their economic status,” he said.
Steenhuisen said he believes the model that has been rolled our in the Western Cape, in partnership with the private sector is delivering much-needed healthcare, and the ideas will be brought to the table for consideration for a national rollout.
The DA had threatened to seek recourse in the courts, but on Thursday, Steenhuisen said the legal route would only be the last option.
“We are in government now, we have a forum where we can negotiate and our voice can be heard around the table. We are going to use that to persuade and win arguments there on evidence-based research. That is the basis that the Cabinet will move forward,” he said.
“I am confident that we can find each other. We all want the same thing. There is just disagreement on the best model to get there, and there are elements of the NHI that are good but there are elements we also disagree with. We seek to refine those so that we can begin the rollout of fixing primary healthcare facilities.”
In his opening of Parliament speech, Ramaphosa said as South Africa implements the National Health Insurance, government will focus on strengthening healthcare infrastructure, improving training of health care personnel and using technology to improve health care management.
“While there is much contestation around the NHI, there is broad agreement that we must draw on the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sectors to meet the health care needs of all South Africans equally,” said Ramaphosa.
In implementing the NHI, Ramaphosa said government was confident of bringing stakeholders together, and that the existing differences will be resolved and misunderstandings are clarified.
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