LETTER: Signing of NHI Bill is mercenary
Wednesday’s act will see the odds of an ANC-DA alliance lengthening
Many election scenarios have been described in these pages. Scenarios are possible outcomes and easy to develop. Scenarios are not equally likely, with the much harder task being to add probabilities to the most likely outcomes.
Wednesday’s signing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill was purely political, timed to curry favour before the elections.
I see a related short-term effect on the political landscape being similar to earthworks: the trench between the ANC and the DA is being deepened, and by more closely aligning their economic and social policies, the divide between the ANC and EFF is closing. The court cases the DA will be compelled to bring against NHI will have the same effect as filling the trench with water and turning the trench between the ANC and DA into a moat.
While the election scenarios remain the same, Wednesday’s act will see the odds of an ANC-DA alliance lengthening, and that of the ANC returning to power (with or without their Doomsday Coalition partners) shortening.
Greg Becker
Via email
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