NHI Bill: Final Mandates (with Minister)

Meeting report

NHI Bill Final Mandates

Permanent delegates of the following provinces presented mandates as received from the legislatures, with all voting in favour of the NHI Bill:

Eastern Cape

Free State

Gauteng

KwaZulu-Natal

Limpopo

Mpumalanga

Northern Cape

North West

The Chairperson, in his capacity as a permanent delegate for the Western Cape, reported that the province had not sent its Final Mandate on the matter.

Members wished to know the reasons behind this.

The Chairperson responded that no reasons had been communicated.

Ms D Christians (DA, Northern Cape) insisted that this matter be dealt with. The reasons that the Western Cape had not submitted its Final Mandate need to be in the official minutes for the record, and form part of the final report by the Committee.

The Chairperson said that the previous meeting had dealt with the issue. It was proposed that the meeting dispose of the issue.

The Bill was thus adopted by the Committee, with eight of the nine provincial mandates being in favour of the legislation.

Consideration of the Committee’s Final Report on the NHI Bill

The Chairperson presented to the members the draft report of the Committee on the process, for consideration and adoption. The Report highlighted the following steps taken as part of the legislative process:

• The National Health Insurance Bill [B11B-2019], section 76, was referred to the Committee on 13 June 2023.
• The Department of Health briefed the Committee on 20 June 2023.
• All provinces held briefings and public hearings on the Bill between 28 July and 30 October 2023.
• All provinces concluded the public hearings by 30 October 2023.
• The Committee deliberated on the negotiating mandates submitted by provinces on 14 November 2023.
• The Committee finalised the Bill on 21 November 2023 and adopted it without amendments.

Ms N Ndongeni (ANC, Eastern Cape) proposed the adoption of the report, and Mr I Ntsuba (ANC, Free State) supported the proposal, and the report was adopted.

Ms D Christians submitted that NCOP Rule 120 (4) required that minority views be reflected in the final report. She disagreed with the final structure, pointing out that its contents did not substantially cover the deliberations that had taken place during the process. 

Ms Christians and Mr M Bara (DA, Gauteng) wished for their objections to the report to be noted and recorded.

Read: ATC231121: Report of the Select Committee on Health and Social Services on the National Health Insurance Bill [B11B–2019] (National Assembly–Section 76), dated 21 November 2023

Remarks by the Minister

Dr Joe Phaahla, Minister of Health, remarked that the legislative process with the Committee had been a rigorous one. The Department listened to the issues raised and responded when it was called to. He congratulated the Committee for the hard work throughout the process. The country looks forward to the transformation of the country’s health system, as the Department looked forward to the report being considered by the House. This will allow for further steps to be taken towards the realisation of this piece of legislation.

Ms E Nkosi (ANC, Mpumalanga) thanked the Ministry and the Department leadership for diligently assisting the Committee on matters raised through its well-informed responses. She also congratulated the members of the Committee for the work they had done to this stage.

Consideration of Committee minutes

The Committee considered and adopted the minutes of its meetings dated 07, 09 and 14 November 2023.

The meeting was adjourned.