Presidency shrugs off health compact boycott

The presidency has shrugged off a boycott by organised business and healthcare professionals and formalised its second health compact, signalling its intention to press ahead with National Health Insurance (NHI).

The compact follows the second presidential health summit in 2023 and was intended to be a consensus document signed by the parties that participated in the high-level meeting.

But last week, Business Unity SA (Busa), the SA Medical Association (Sama) and the SA Health Professionals Collaboration (SAHPC) said they would not agree to it, as they did not support the compact’s position on NHI. The NHI Act, which enacts universal health coverage reforms, was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in early May, two weeks before the general election.

Without acknowledging the absence of key stakeholders, acting president Paul Mashatile said on Thursday that the private sector had a crucial role to play in strengthening SA’s health system.

“Our experience in Covid-19 showed how we can deepen public-private partnerships. With greater collaboration, the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sector can be brought to bear to serve those who need healthcare the most,” he said at a signing ceremony in Pretoria.

“With the [NHI] act now signed into law, it is even more urgent that we work together,” he said.

Signatories to the compact include the Independent Community Pharmacy Association, the SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu), the Democratic Nurses of SA (Denosa) trade union, the SA National Aids Council, trade union federation Cosatu, Campaigning for Cancer, the SA Medical Research Council, the SA Pharmacy Council, and the Defend the NHI campaign.

Busa said the compact had been unilaterally amended by the government to include an explicit pledge of support for the NHI Act. Unlike the first compact signed in 2019, it is woven with references to NHI and expresses direct support for the act, which Busa, Sama and the SAHPC have indicated they will challenge in court. Busa has said consistently it supports universal health cov

Minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the cabinet welcomes the launch of five new tugs in the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) fleet renewal programme to tackle port congestion.

This was in line with the Freight Logistics Roadmap to restore efficiency and competitiveness in SA’s ports and rail network, Ntshavheni said at a briefing in Pretoria on the outcomes of Wednesdays ’ cabinet meeting. “The tugboats, equipped with the latest technology and improved bollard pull capacity, will help reduce vessel turnaround times by assisting in the faster movement of cargo and container ships through our major ports, thus improving port safety,” she said.

The TNPA and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), operating divisions with rail and operator Transnet, have launched a legal bid to have crucial marine and port services designated essential services by a committee of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. In a submission to the essential services committee’s public hearings recently, TNPA and TPT motivated for marine, cargo, security, fire and emergency, and dredging services to be designated essential services.

The SA Transport and Allied Workers Union and the United National Transport Union oppose this. Marine services include functions such as pilotage, towage and berthing. Employees in these services would be prohibited from striking if they were to be designated essential.

The tugboat acquisition entails seven tugs, two allocated to the Port of East London. The launch, naming and christening ceremony is planned for September. It will bring TNPA’s tugboat complement to 38 at its eight commercial ports, with the Port of Durban getting 14.

Delivering the keynote address at the christening ceremony at the Port of Durban recently, Transnet board chair Andile Sangqu highlighted the significance of investing in marine assets. “The procurement of this fleet demonstrates Transnet’s commitment to fully realising the recovery plan. We are now approaching 12 months of the 18-month cycle and can see improvement in the agility of executing strategic projects, which will enhance the organisation’s competitiveness.

“Meeting the objectives of the Marine Fleet Renewal Programme, coupled with a skilled workforce, will catapult our responsiveness to meeting global shipping demands,” he said.