During a recent webinar on corruption concerns surrounding National Health Insurance (NHI), public health consultant Dr Nicholas Crisp, who is managing the NHI process for the department of health, said the government would “do all [it] can to design a corruption-proof system. Though it is never impossible ‘to plunder’, [it] will try to make it as difficult as possible”.

In light of the hundreds of millions, if not billions, looted from Covid-19 funds, such fanciful thinking does not serve the best interests of ordinary South Africans...