Latest news with #NHI)Act
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
News you should know tonight: Top 5 stories you may have missed on May 30, 2025
The prime suspect wanted in connection with Olorato Mongale's death, allegedly confessed to her murder moments before he was killed in a gun battle with KZN cops on Friday morning. Good evening, IOL News family! It's Friday, May 30, 2025, and it's time for a wrap of the biggest headlines making waves in South Africa and beyond. Don't forget to join the IOL WhatsApp Channel to stay in tune, informed, and in the know SA faces lottery blackout after Pretoria High Court dismisses Ithuba bid South Africa may face a brief lottery blackout after the Pretoria High Court dismissed the National Lotteries Commission's urgent application to appoint Ithuba as a temporary operator beyond its May 31 license expiry. To read on, click here. Ethekwini Municipality confirms readiness for 98th Comrades Marathon The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed its readiness to co-host the 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, June 8. To read on, click here. NHI regulations face opposition from the Western Cape Government amid digital service expansion The Western Cape Cabinet has reaffirmed its opposition to the draft regulations of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, warning that the proposed governance arrangements threaten to destabilize the provincial health system. To read on, click here. Suspect found hiding in Durban allegedly confessed to the murder of Olorato Mongale The prime suspect, Philangenkosi Makhanya, who was wanted in connection with Olorato Mongale's murder, allegedly confessed to her murder moments before he was killed in a gun battle with KZN cops on Friday morning. To read on, click here. Deputy Speaker refers over 10 EFF members for discipline after Ramaphosa session chaos Deputy Speaker Annelie Lotriet has referred several EFF MPs to the Speaker for possible disciplinary action following their disruption of President Cyril Ramaphosa's Q&A session on Tuesday. To read on, click here. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL News
IOL News
3 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
NHI regulations face opposition from Western Cape Government amid digital service expansion
Premier Alan Winde highlights the role of innovation and data-driven solutions in strengthening service delivery for vulnerable communities in the Western Cape. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers. The Western Cape Cabinet has reaffirmed its opposition to the draft regulations of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, warning that the proposed governance arrangements threaten to destabilize the provincial health system. 'The provisions of the act, in its current form, undermine the aim of universal healthcare, particularly in the Western Cape,' said Premier Alan Winde. The Cabinet maintains that the regulations are premature, invalid, and would have a 'significant and detrimental impact on all provinces and service delivery.' The province's objections mirror long-standing concerns raised during public participation, which the national Department of Health has allegedly failed to address. In contrast to its resistance on the NHI front, the provincial government is moving forward with key innovations in social services. Cabinet approved the expansion of the Social Work Integrated Management System (SWIMS) application across government departments. Launched in April 2024 and already used by over 1,000 social workers, the SWIMS app digitises social service case files and significantly reduces paperwork. Premier Winde described the system as transformative. 'Across our departments, we must explore ways to improve services. Our embrace of innovation, technology, and reliance on data and evidence strengthens our ability to boost service delivery, in the case of expanding SWIMS, to the most vulnerable in our province.' Western Cape Minister for Social Development, Jaco Londt, echoed the sentiment, emphasising the app's reach in rural areas. 'If SWIMS is utilised by other social service professionals in government and the NGO space, not only will staff benefit, but it will strengthen our case monitoring systems, we want to mitigate the risk of cases slipping through the cracks.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading In a further move to modernise public service delivery, Cabinet noted the implementation of a new Provincial Roads Delivery Model at the district level. The new model, developed by the Department of Infrastructure, is based on a comprehensive five-year review and aims to speed up and improve infrastructure projects across the province. Cabinet also approved the Growth for Jobs (G4J) 2025–2030 Implementation Plan, the next step in a strategic roadmap to stimulate economic growth. 'The G4J strategy is constantly evolving, requiring us to regularly revisit its key priority areas,' Premier Winde said. He acknowledged the volatility of global markets but expressed confidence in the province's ability to adapt and grow. Celebrating the success of the 2025 Premier's Cycle Tour, Winde thanked partners and provincial teams who helped deliver more than 300 bicycles to schools and neighbourhood watch groups in rural areas. 'The tour is a tangible demonstration of the 'power of the pedals' and the importance of partnerships,' he said, highlighting how bicycles can foster connectivity, promote road safety, and unlock economic opportunity. Finally, Premier Winde called for nominations for the 2025 Service Excellence Awards (SEA), which honour Western Cape Government staff who go above and beyond in their roles. 'Our staff are at the heart of our government's commitment to work as hard as we can every day for the residents of this province,' said Winde. The ceremony is scheduled for September 2025, and nominations close on June 30,2025. IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Eyewitness News
17-05-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa eyes direct appeal to ConCourt over NHI Act challenge
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa is seeking to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court after a high court found that his decision to sign the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act into law could be reviewed. Ramaphosa on Friday filed notice to appeal the Pretoria High Court's earlier decision that also gave him ten days to provide the record of his decision to sign into law the highly contentious NHI Act in 2024. Ramaphosa's decision was challenged by the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), which contends that the legislation is "vague, unaffordable, and ultimately unworkable". ALSO READ: - BHF confident it will be able to prove the NHI Act is unconstitutional - NHI Act: BHF expecting Ramaphosa to ignore Friday's deadline to comply with court order - Board of Healthcare Funders set to file two more legal challenges to NHI Act In court papers, Ramaphosa pointed to inconsistencies in the court's decision and how the president could exercise his powers. Ramaphosa also said that the role played by the president in assenting to and signing a bill was not that of legislating. "If it were, that would constitute a demonstrable incursion into the terrain of the legislature and breach the separation of powers," argued Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa listed several grounds for leave to appeal, including how the court erred in failing to take into account the discretion enjoyed by the president. Ramaphosa said by permitting this kind of review, the court had potentially allowed a "pre-enactment challenge to a bill, which is a severe threat to the legislative authority of Parliament," which he said the Constitution had already warned against. He said that previous court decisions had found that the president and the president alone assented and signed bills into law.
Eyewitness News
15-05-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
NHI Act: BHF expecting Ramaphosa to ignore Friday's deadline to comply with court order
CAPE TOWN - The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) says it expects the president will ignore Friday's deadline to comply with a court order to provide the record of decision that led to him signing the National Health Insurance bill into law. Instead, it expects he and the health minister will file for leave to appeal last week's judgment of the North Gauteng High Court that it has the jurisdiction to review his decision-making. On Thursday, the BHF, which represents private medical aid schemes, announced it will be launching two more court cases against the constitutionality of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act and the public participation process that preceded it. Last week, the high court found that Ramaphosa's decision to assent to and sign the NHI Act into law is reviewable. READ: Board of Healthcare Funders set to file two more legal challenges to NHI Act It gave him 10 calendar days to furnish the court with the record of his decision. The BHF expects this record could bolster its subsequent cases challenging the public participation process that led to the passing of the bill, and even after, when the sector petitioned the president to consider their concerns and objections. But on the final day of its annual conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, BHF lawyer Helen Michael was doubtful the judgment would be adhered to. "If we are all being frank, I would probably say that's unlikely. The problem the president does face if he fails to file the record is that he opens himself up to a contempt of court application." The South African Private Practitioners Forum and the South African Medical Association have also launched their bids against what they believe is the unconstitutionality of the NHI Act.
Eyewitness News
07-05-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Board of Healthcare Funders hails recent court ruling on NHI Act as a victory
CAPE TOWN - The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has hailed Tuesday's court ruling on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act as a victory and a first step towards exposing what it believes are unconstitutional aspects of the legislation. The Gauteng High Court has ordered President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide it with his record of decision to sign the bill into law in May 2024, despite the concerns and objections raised by the private health sector. ALSO READ: BHF, SAPPF given green light to challenge NHI Act His ten-calendar day deadline to meet the court order will run out next Friday. The BHF, which represents several private healthcare schemes, said the court ruling marks an important milestone in its ongoing legal challenge against the NHI Act. While the board insisted it supports universal health coverage, it said this must be pursued through a practical, inclusive multi-payer model that will preserve the strengths of both the public and private healthcare sectors. The board said the court's finding that it does have the jurisdiction to review this matter reaffirms the constitutional principle that all public power is subject to the rule of law and the president, too, is not above judicial scrutiny. The BHF launched the review application just two weeks after he signed the bill into law, despite having received numerous submissions on concerns and an appeal to return the bill to Parliament for further scrutiny. The board said that in so doing, Ramaphosa assented to legislation that it contends is vague, unaffordable, and unworkable. The BHF believes the president's record of his decision-making process will demonstrate that he ignored compelling legal and policy objections from civil society, business, and the health sector.
