This is the continuation of the nationwide public participation process to ensure that the Bill is strengthened and reflective of the views of South Africans from all sectors of the society, the Health department said.

The NHI Bill is intended to achieve universal access to healthcare services in South Africa, which is a constitutional right. The NHI is a financing system that will ensure that the citizens of South Africa are provided with essential healthcare services regardless of social standing.
 
Towards the end of 2019, the committee committed itself to starting the hearings early in 2020. “Public participation is one of the constitutional imperatives and the cornerstone of South Africa’s democratic dispensation.

"The committee made a commitment of creating a platform for all interested parties across the country to express their views on the Bill, and these hearings are a realisation of that commitment,” committee chairperson Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said.
 
To ensure that all the interested South Africans are afforded an opportunity to participate, the committee will hold the hearings in the late afternoon. The committee invites all the interested parties in the North West Province to attend the hearings and make their contributions on the Bill.
 
Hearings will take place at 4.30pm in Rustenburg on Thursday, at the Old Banquet Hall and on Friday at Naledi Local Municipality at the Banquet Hall. There will also be hearings at 10am on Saturday in the Klerksdorp Recreation Centre, Dr KK District.

African News Agency