President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that National Health Insurance is essential to close the divide between public and private healthcare in South Africa. His weekly letter highlights inequalities in healthcare access despite public system progress. The remarks follow a successful separation of conjoined twins at Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo.
President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter that the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) is key to closing the gap between public and private healthcare in the country. He pointed to stark inequalities in access to quality healthcare, even as the public system has made progress. These comments came after surgeons at Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo province last week completed a complex operation to separate conjoined twins. A team of doctors, nurses and other health workers carried out the procedure, which required extraordinary skill and precision, according to Ramaphosa. He described the success as reflecting the potential of public healthcare when properly supported. Ramaphosa maintained that access to quality healthcare should not depend on income or location. The letter was shared on March 23, 2026, via his official Twitter account.