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Marianne Merten hit the nail on the head when she pointed out that only parliament, not President Cyril Ramaphosa, can amend the National Health Insurance Act now that it has passed into law. (“No chit-chat can change the NHI”, September 18).
Parliament will have to step up with amending legislation to the act, or the courts will step in as they have done whenever parliament and politicians fail. The ANC drove the National Health Insurance Bill roughshod through the National Assembly in the most recent parliament, confident of a rubber-stamping by its army of more than 60% ANC MPs.
But there’s a new game in town after May 29, and the ANC now holds only 40% of the cards, even if it did successfully lure the DA into the government of national unity (GNU) with offers of cabinet posts with commensurate salaries, perks and pension plans.
The silence on NHI from the one-time official opposition that used to be so intent on litigation is deafening, as Merten writes, and a shameful consequence of co-opting DA cabinet ministers and deputies into the ANC government.
Does the DA leadership know something we don’t, and plans to use its GNU muscle to better effect than we’ve seen thus far? Perhaps the party will shortly allow its remaining about 70 backbench MPs free rein to take up the role of a proper and effective opposition rather than keeping them tethered, silent and frustrated in parliament and its committees.
The National Health Insurance Act and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act would be a good place to start. One lives in hope.
Mark Lowe Durban
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: DA silent on NHI
Marianne Merten hit the nail on the head when she pointed out that only parliament, not President Cyril Ramaphosa, can amend the National Health Insurance Act now that it has passed into law. (“No chit-chat can change the NHI”, September 18).
Parliament will have to step up with amending legislation to the act, or the courts will step in as they have done whenever parliament and politicians fail. The ANC drove the National Health Insurance Bill roughshod through the National Assembly in the most recent parliament, confident of a rubber-stamping by its army of more than 60% ANC MPs.
But there’s a new game in town after May 29, and the ANC now holds only 40% of the cards, even if it did successfully lure the DA into the government of national unity (GNU) with offers of cabinet posts with commensurate salaries, perks and pension plans.
The silence on NHI from the one-time official opposition that used to be so intent on litigation is deafening, as Merten writes, and a shameful consequence of co-opting DA cabinet ministers and deputies into the ANC government.
Does the DA leadership know something we don’t, and plans to use its GNU muscle to better effect than we’ve seen thus far? Perhaps the party will shortly allow its remaining about 70 backbench MPs free rein to take up the role of a proper and effective opposition rather than keeping them tethered, silent and frustrated in parliament and its committees.
The National Health Insurance Act and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act would be a good place to start. One lives in hope.
Mark Lowe
Durban
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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