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An Algerian man who has been missing for more than 25 years was found held captive in his neighbour's home in the northern Djelfa province, local media report, citing authorities.
Local media place the man's disappearance between 1996 and 1998, during the Algerian civil war. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended his plan to sign into law a contentious bill that aims at providing universal health coverage.
He was found in an underground hole covered with hay, the daily Echorouk newspaper reported. The National Health Insurance (NHI) bill seeks to give South Africans “of all races, rich or poor and legal long-term residents” access to quality healthcare. Its implementation would cost billions of dollars.
He said his captor had cast a spell on him, leaving him unable to call out for help, AFP news agency reported, citing local media. But it is facing widespread objection with the opposition parties and medical unions vowing to take legal action against the bill, if signed into law.
The brother of the man's alleged captor had outed him on social media after they got into a dispute over inheritance, the agency added. Mr Ramaphosa said he would sign the bill into law on Wednesday whether people like it or not.
The man, now in his mid-40s, is receiving medical attention after he was rescued by authorities. “The NHI is one of those focus areas which is going to help poor people and now the opposition on NHI is coming from the well to rich people. This is what often happens, the haves don’t want have nots to benefit from what they have been having," the president added.
His alleged captor, a 61-year-old man, has been arrested. On Tuesday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) party accused the president of using the bill as an electioneering tool just days before the polls.
But Mr Ramaphosa said that his government was not reckless and that the introduction of the NHI would not be done in a destructive manner.
Supporters of the bill hail it as a generational change that will reverse persistent inequality.
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