Some months ago, I was given the impression that the Constitution allows the citizens of this country, as a democracy, to express their views and concerns regarding matters of national importance, through the signing of petitions.
Without any doubt, this is what everyone understands democracy means – the rule according to majority consensus.
By contrast, a dictatorship does not concern itself with seeking consensus on any matter regarding government rules and laws. The government’s wish is its command. Period.
Utterances of “Bayathanda or abathandi, NHI will be signed into law” belong in what can only be described as a dictatorship. This will invite only trouble in a population that has been deceived from 2018 when countrywide consultations were conducted.
This led to the petition warning the government of the dangers of implementing universal healthcare coverage when the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with many challenges facing it having never been addressed from as far back as 2018.
In that year, the Big Debate, hosted by Redi Tlhabi, ended up with 83% of a big audience voting for the postponement of the implementation of the NHI to a time when all the problems and challenges facing our ailing health services would have been overhauled.
Not a single attempt has been made to attend to all the areas that need to be fixed, even though I submitted a detailed document, “Fixing the healthcare system”, soon after the Big Debate, to draw the attention of government to areas that have to be fixed if we want universal healthcare that will be successful and sustainable.
But against all the warnings, the same attitude of the government that led to the Life Esidimeni tragedy is staring us in the face, but this time on a wider scale.
When SA ends up with the same deadly situation that has engulfed Zimbabwe, please remember how much South Africans have tried to alert you to the dangers of autocracy.
A good leader is one who listens, is assertive, decisive and is not easily swayed and has integrity.
* Cometh Dube-Makholwa, Midrand.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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