Know Afrika

  The nation is on edge as the African National Congress (ANC) takes on the unusual job of picking a coalition partner to govern South Africa. Last week's election saw the ANC lose its legislative majority for the first time in three decades of democracy , failing to garner more than half of the vote. Historic Election Results Since the fall of apartheid in 1994, the ANC has continuously controlled all elections. However, disillusioned people, disgruntled by continued unemployment, inequality, and continuous power outages, gave the party only 40.2% of the vote, a considerable decrease from 57.5% in the last election five years ago. Although the ANC remains the largest party, its diminished vote share makes it impossible to rule alone, plunging South Africa into unknown territory In his weekly address on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated, “This moment in our country calls for responsible leadership and constructive engagement.” Coalition Negotiations Potential coalition part...

  A significant turning point in  South Africa’s healthcare  reform efforts has been reached with the formal signing into law of a bill aimed at universal health coverage by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria signing ceremony , Ramaphosa hailed the legislation as an essential first step toward establishing a more egalitarian society, particularly in view of the impending fiercely competitive election that is only two weeks away. Ramaphosa emphasized how urgently reform is required and criticized the fragmented and unsustainable nature of the existing healthcare infrastructure. He also characterized the current system as ineffective. The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act tackles the current two-tier health system, which has resulted in a significant percentage of the population being underserved. At the same time, the act offers increased treatment alternatives for individuals who have private insurance. With the new law, private insur...