There are many steps and procedures that must be followed before any new law can come into effect. Below is a brief summary of the steps that are generally taken when making new laws:

• First step: a proposed law, which is also known as a Bill, is drafted mainly by government departments under the guidance of the relevant minister.
• Second step: when the Bill has been drafted, it needs to be introduced to either the National Assembly or the National Council of Provinces (“NCOP”).
• Third step: once the Bill has been introduced, it is then referred to the relevant Committee.
• Fourth step: the Bill will then be published in the Government Gazette for comments by any relevant party or member of the public.
• Fifth step: once the Committee accepts the Bill, it will be debated in the National Assembly and also sent to the NCOP for further considerations.
• Sixth step: once considerations have been made by the National Assembly and NCOP, the final version of the Bill is sent to the President.
• Seventh step: once the President signs the Bill, it then becomes an Act of Parliament and a law of South Africa

The National Health Insurance Bill has already been approved by the portfolio committee for health, parliament and the National Council of Provinces. However, it still has to be signed off by President Cyril Ramaphosa before it can come into effect and be made a law of South Africa.

The National Health Insurance Bill aims to implement the National Health Insurance (“NHI”). The NHI will be a fund that may be formed to provide all South Africans affordable healthcare across the board. The NHI will provide funding for both private and public healthcare providers with the objective to provide universal access to quality health care for all South Africans as provided in the Constitution. Section 27 of the Constitution provides for healthcare as an essential human right and provides that everyone has the right to access to health care services.

• Each province or municipality might have its own legislation and/or by-laws that regulate drinking in public.
• For example, the Gauteng Liquor Act 2 of 2003 states that no person may consume alcohol in or near any public place, this includes a vehicle driven on a public road or parked in a public area. A fine of R300 will be issued if a person is caught.
• Be careful and think twice when you want to consume alcohol in a public space that is not licensed accordingly, like a beach or a park, as you can be guilty of an offence and be fined.