For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Mixed reactions to passing of NHI Bill, Treasury set to withhold extra funding for 23 KZN councils and, South Africa demands 'balanced' ICC investigation on Gaza - excluding Israel

Mixed reactions to passing of NHI Bill

Business groups Business Unity South Africa and Business for South Africa are planning to submit a formal petition to President Cyril Ramaphosa to send the controversial National Health Insurance Bill back to Parliament for amendments on the grounds of unconstitutionality.   

The NHI Bill, which is expected to provide universal healthcare to all South Africans, passed in the National Council of Provinces without any amendments.

The groups believe that the Bill is not only unworkable, unimplementable and unaffordable, but also unconstitutional, both on substantive and procedural grounds.

The groups cited the concern that no amendments were made including those suggested by the Department of Health itself. 

Treasury set to withhold extra funding for 23 KZN councils

In a province ravaged by floods that caused R25-billion worth of infrastructure damage, at least 23 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal are at risk of failing to get additional funding from the National Treasury as a result of their failure to spend at least 60% of their municipal infrastructure grants.

The additional funding is usually released by National Treasury in December and is aimed at eradicating municipal infrastructure backlogs in poor communities. 

Major businesses, such as RCL Foods, have recently been decrying the state of municipal infrastructure for hamstringing their businesses.

Citing Division of Revenue Act reports, KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi in July warned that, as of April 2023, more than R1.17-billion allocated for the MIG was underused by municipalities in the province.

South Africa demands 'balanced' ICC investigation on Gaza - excluding Israel

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has told the International Criminal Court that it must investigate crimes and prosecute "in an unbiased and even-handed manner” in the Israel-Gaza conflict, warning that international law could only be credible if applied uniformly.  

Lamola was speaking in New York at an assembly of the state parties that make up the ICC.   

Last week, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he had seen clear evidence of war crimes on both sides, with Hamas' 7 October attack representing "some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity".

In mid-November, South Africa submitted a referral to the ICC listing what it said were Israel's war crimes. It made no mention of sometimes directly equivalent actions by Hamas.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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