COSATU Call Center Number 010 002 2590

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has recently launched a new call center to provide much-needed assistance to workers facing labour-related challenges. This dedicated resource aims to offer support, information, and guidance to both members of COSATU-affiliated unions and unorganized workers, ensuring that they have a place to turn for help with workplace issues.

COSATU notes ruling of Pretoria High Court directing Ramaphosa to submit documentation

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes the ruling of the Pretoria High Court requiring the Presidency to provide supporting documentation for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assenting to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. 

This is a standard legal requirement to enable a court to provide judgment on any case before it. This is a simple administrative matter, and we do not believe it places any burden on the President, as he would have been provided with detailed reports and recommendations before assenting to any legislation.

The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) and South African Private Practitioner’s Forum (SAPPF) approached the High Court in Pretoria last month in a bid to have the NHI Act declared unconstitutional. Government opposed the action, arguing the Pretoria High Court did not have jurisdiction to hear the matter, that BHF and SAPPF should take the matter to the Constitutional Court instead.

The Pretoria High Court ruled yesterday that the President’s decision to assent to the Act is subject to review before it, and that President Ramaphosa must submit all documentation of proceedings leading to the signing of the Act into law.

COSATU supports the Act and NHI as the best path towards achieving universal healthcare. The status quo cannot be allowed to maintain as it is not sustainable, with a public healthcare system that is overwhelmed and underfunded and a private healthcare system that is unaffordable and underutilised.

As a result, millions of workers die prematurely or are no longer able to work due to aliments that could otherwise have been treated, plunging their families into poverty, undermining workplace productivity and economic growth, draining the state of scarce resources.

COSATU anticipates more court challenges to the NHI by those who value profits over lives. We are confident that given the extensive work done on the NHI Act at Nedlac and Parliament that it can sustain any legal challenge.    

Issued by COSATU

Zanele Sabela (National Spokesperson)

Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639

Email: zaneles@cosatu.org.za