1. Auditor general has reported the abysmal state of affairs in the National and Provincial Departments of Health for the 2022/2023 financial year.
2. Qualified Audits were the order of the day, yet again.
3. Contingent liabilities for medicolegal claims for mishaps at State Hospitals and Clinics are north of R70 billion (R70 000 000 000,00). Of course, the bureaucrats and ANC at this department offer glib words about a “median term strategic framework” to reduce the Health Department’s continued liabilities.
4. But they do not have the foggiest clue.
5. Solution is to employ experienced, well trained medical doctors and qualified nurses in sufficient numbers. This will not happen because the budgets have been captured.
6. In the interim Cyril Ramaphosa refuses to release damning reports of corruption probes into State Health.
7. South Africans are fully aware of the dire status of State Hospitals.
8. Yet the ANC is hell-bent on forcing more state health care down the throats of South Africans. They call it the NHI (National Health Insurance), the so called universal healthcare, a sop to diehard communists.
9. ANC honchos refuse to offer projections as to the quantum of anticipated medicolegal contingent liabilities should NHI become a reality. They cannot explain who will fill health professional posts.
10. The solution of course is to get the state out of health care.
11. Free Democrats of South Africa propose the establishment of medical aid for every citizen, one comprehensive medical aid plan, from birth to death, funded by a Health Insurance Fund (HIF).
12. The HIF is for its part funded by sin taxes and a portion of VAT. No new or higher tax is proposed.
13. State clinics, State hospitals and unused state land should be sold to the private health care industry. Proceeds from these sales should go towards redeeming South Africa’s gargantuan sovereign debt of over R5,2 Trillion (R5 200 000 000 000,00).
14. All hospitals and clinics should be operated and managed by the private healthcare industry.
15. Medical aid should be administered by the private medical aid industry, a much reformed private medical aid industry whose role will be that of administrators only.
16. The medical aid industry is in desperate need of major reforms. We should get rid of all the Mickey Mouse medical aid plans which rip off members and their beneficiaries.
17. Parliament should exercise direct oversight over the Health Insurance Fund and set the fees of doctors, surgeons, physiotherapists, dentists, psychologists etc.
18. Unemployment: Free Democrats propose substantial tax reductions to attract local and foreign capital investment, absolutely essential for job creation.
19. South Africans by now are fully aware that the state and politicians do not create jobs. Investors create jobs.
20. ANC has destroyed millions of jobs in South Africa.
21. Reduce personal Income tax to 35%, company tax to 15% and dividend taxes down to 10%. Reduce death taxes. Increase the primary rebate to R300 000, meaning those who make less than 300k per year should not pay personal income tax.
22. Lower taxes should be coupled with scrapping of all restrictive and race based labour laws, and drastic reduction in red tape, all to encourage business activity and capital investment.
23. National/Community (not military service) should be expanded to include all university and college graduates.
24. All financial management and accounting graduates should be seconded to municipalities and city councils where financial know how and administrative skills are in desperate short supply. This will ensure immediate employment upon graduation. For too long the youth of South Africa and their employment prospects have been neglected.
25. settlement or visa fee of R100 000,00 – R500 000,00 should be imposed upon all foreigners, new and old arrivals. All foreigners should be registered as taxpayers. Those who cannot or would not pay should leave. Employers who pay for the full settlement fee or visa of essential foreign workers should be allowed to fully deduct this as a business expense.
26. Home ownership should be boosted. All property transfer costs , Insurance premiums, interest on loans, cost of energy installations, security cost, maintenance expenses, all salaries and wages of domestic workers and gardeners and utility bills should be deductible from personal income tax.
27. South Africa should reward merit and move away from rewarding political allegiance and loyalty.
28. A voluntary equity equity participation programme should be introduced for meritorious employees. This should replace BEE which is simply corruption by another name.
29. A free market driven South African economy will create jobs and bring prosperity all around, provided that the country can attract the necessary skills , currently in desperate short supply, especially IT, professional and artisan skills
30. Many South Africans have left these shores to escape ANC incompetence.
31. South Africans living abroad should be tax incentivized to return. Those graduate professionals, artisans, IT specialists etc. should be given a 3-5 year exemption from personal income tax after their return to South Africa.
32. An economy without the prerequisite human skills will remain stagnant.
33. The elections of 2024 present South Africans with a stark choice: vote for more incompetence, state health care, unemployment, corruption or
34. Do the sensible: vote for private healthcare, a free economy, lower taxes and job creation.
35. Nothing is more important than your health. Look after it. Nurture it. Vote for it.