Opposition parties flagged as worrying the vast ministerial powers, potential for corruption and public health facilities' general unreadiness, in rejecting the National Health Insurance Bill. But with the support of five one- or two-seat parties, the ANC got the necessary approval on Tuesday.

That the National Health Insurance (NHI) is a step closer to implementation comes at a crucial point ahead of the 2024 elections, allowing the governing ANC on the hustings to show it delivered on its 2019 universal healthcare election promise.

As far back as the 2007 Polokwane ANC national conference, and the 2010 ANC General National Council, NHI has been a key policy instrument supported across the tripartite alliance with labour federation Cosatu and the South African Communist Party (SACP).

"South Africa cannot transform and upgrade its public healthcare sector without eliminating the imbalances between the private and public health sectors which are skewed in favour of the minority-servicing private health sector," the SACP said in a statement four-and-a-half hours before the parliamentary proceedings.

"It (NHI Bill) is a milestone in what should be a continuing struggle for quality healthcare for all, against the background of the overall agenda by the reactionary opposition to NHI."

It will still take some time for the legislative processes to run their course in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) before it goes to the president's in-tray for signing.

Cosatu called on the NCOP to now "move with speed" to also pass this legislation....