For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae. 

Making headlines: NHI halted as Ramaphosa awaits ConCourt ruling; DA reiterates rejection of BEE after Ramaphosa slams party in SoNA debate; And, WFP warns food aid in Somalia could halt within weeks

NHI halted as Ramaphosa awaits ConCourt ruling

Two cases relating to the controversial National Health Insurance will be heard in the Constitutional Court in May, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to refrain from promulgating any provisions of the Act until they are both finalised.

One of the challengers of the NHI Act, Solidarity, said on Friday that it had received communication from Ramaphosa’s legal team that the NHI would be placed on hold. It was signed into law by Ramaphosa in 2024 but is yet to be implemented.

The two cases that will be heard in May relate to public participation challenges.

A letter from Ramaphosa’s legal team reiterated that Ramaphosa would not enforce any part of the Act until he was requested to do so by the Minister of Health. 

Solidarity welcomed the NHI’s delay, claiming that it was as a result of pressure from it and other organisations opposing the implementation.

DA reiterates rejection of BEE after Ramaphosa slams party in SoNA debate

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen has assured that his party will continue to push for the implementation of “faster and bolder reform”, while it rejects the African National Congress's continued adherence to black economic empowerment.

In his reply to the debate on the State of the Nation Address yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa defended BEE and criticised political parties that called for its scrapping.

He argued that there had been “real changes” in ownership patterns, management control, enterprise development and skills development through the use of BEE policies.

Steenhuisen said the DA would continue to fight for an alternative that creates a more “inclusive” economy for all, claiming that BEE has benefited “only politically connected elites at the expense of the poor, who remain trapped in poverty, locked out of employment, and with little hope of climbing the opportunity ladder”.

Last year, the DA proposed the Economic Inclusion for All Bill, to repeal and replace BEE in its current form.

And, WFP warns food aid in Somalia could halt within weeks

The UN World Food Programme said its life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Somalia could grind to a halt by April unless new funding is secured, putting millions of people at risk of worsening hunger.

An estimated 4.4-million people face crisis-level food insecurity, with nearly one million of them experiencing severe hunger, due to the impact of failed rainy seasons, conflict and declining humanitarian funding, the WFP said.

Ross Smith, WFP director of emergency preparedness and response, said the situation is deteriorating at an alarming rate.

Somalia declared a national drought emergency in November after recurrent seasons of poor rainfall, and other countries in the region have also been hit.

The WFP, the largest humanitarian agency in Somalia, said it has already scaled back assistance from 2.2-million people earlier this year to just over 600 000 due to funding shortages. Nutrition programmes for pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children have also been sharply reduced.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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