/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Solidarity has confirmed that it will continue to argue its case against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act before the court on an unopposed basis.

This comes after the government could still not come up with opposing court papers four months later. Solidarity now requests that the matter continues unopposed as the period within which opposing papers had to be filed has been disregarded repeatedly.

Solidarity served its court papers on the government on 24 May and agreed to the government’s request for postponement. According to Peirru Marx, Solidarity’s network coordinator of the medical professions, the state’s last opportunity to file its opposing papers has expired on Wednesday 2 October. 

“We are not surprised to see how difficult the government’s legal team finds it to formulate counterarguments. Of course, we believe they do not have answers to these important questions.

“How will they be able to afford the NHI, and how are they going to let the NHI work? For years, we have been asking for answers to these questions without getting any meaningful answers. We do not think the government can answer us,” Marx said.

Meanwhile, several organisations, including Solidarity, have drafted workable alternatives to the NHI which could help the government out of this predicament. Solidarity’s alternative to the NHI will soon be introduced to the media and the public.

Issued by Solidarity