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The ANC Western Cape today expressed outrage that the DA led Provincial Government has rejected the proposed National Health Insurance scheme even before it has gone beyond the blue print stage.

Instead Theuns Botha, MEC for Health in the province today announced that the provincial Government would investigate and introduce an alternative in the form of a ‘Health Levy' in the province. This levy, according to Botha would be ‘applicable to all those who pay for health services in the public and private sector and would be an ‘alternative to the NHI', which Botha roundly condemned as an initiative which would reduce ‘the quality and standard of private health care.'

ANC Provincial Health spokesperson, Joyce Witbooi said; ‘This decision comes as no surprise since the DA led Provincial Government has already indicated that it will pursue alternative policies with respect to other national competencies under the constitution such as trade and industry and labour law.'

‘The ANC will do everything in its power to mobilize against this ‘health levy' and mobilize both the health sector and communities in support of the proposed NHI.

‘The ‘health levy' will simply be another tax on the poor and working families. We call on the DA to rethink this proposal which coming as it does even before detail of the NHI has been released smacks of the ‘federal components of the constitution' which Premier Zille has referred to.'