President Ramaphosa approves a law that seeks to provide universal health care for all - but not everyone is happy.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved a controversial new law that will lead to the biggest shake-up in the health sector since the end of the racist system of apartheid 30 years ago.
This is unlike countries such as the UK, which has the state-funded National Health Service , but where people are free to take out medical insurance to receive any treatment they want from private doctors and hospitals. The government has not specified the treatments that NHI-accredited private hospitals and GPs will have to provide, but says it will include emergency services, mental heath services, palliative care and rehabilitation services.Mr Ramaphosa says the NHI is an "important instrument to tackle poverty".
Nevertheless, the explainer on the parliamentary website says the "cost of our health-care system, which is currently the most expensive in the world, will be reduced". The Daily Maverick reported that the government was likely to face an "avalanche" of litigation, including from the South African Medical Association.
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