South Africa - Pretoria - 5 November 2024 - Thousands of people gathered at the Voortrekker monument to protest against the BELA Bill before marching to Freedom Park. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
The African National Congress (ANC) has called on the people of South Africa to support the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act and reject the agendas of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), and AfriForum, which they claim are undermining the hard-won unity of the nation.
This comes after several parties and organisations voiced opposition to the implementation of the act.
Signed into law in September, the BELA Act's implementation was delayed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to allow for further consultation, particularly concerning two of its clauses.
The DA has strongly opposed Clauses 4 and 5 of the BELA Act, arguing that they grant the government excessive control over school admissions and language policies, thereby stripping power from parents and local communities.
The DA emphasised that school governing bodies should retain the authority to make these decisions in order to protect mother-tongue education and preserve cultural diversity. They believe that the government should focus on improving education quality rather than centralising control.
In a statement, DA Federal Leader John Steenhuisen argued, “Protecting local authority in schools is essential to uphold our constitutional rights, preserve mother-tongue education, and celebrate our cultural diversity—not hand it over to centralised control.”
The party is actively campaigning against the BELA Act, advocating for the expansion, not limitation, of indigenous languages to benefit all.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have also criticised President Ramaphosa’s delay of the BELA Act’s implementation, accusing him of yielding to "right-wing" pressures within his coalition.
They are particularly critical of the three-month postponement of Clauses 4 and 5, alleging that it reflects a capitulation to the DA’s influence.
The EFF condemned the decision, they stated “We are flabbergasted by Cyril Ramaphosa’s capitulation to the bullying from his right-wing coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance, by postponing the implementation of Clauses 4 and 5 of the BELA Bill for three months for further consultations.”
AfriForum is also protesting the BELA Act, claiming that it threatens Afrikaans communities by limiting their control over language and admissions policies in schools.
They have organised a march in Pretoria to protect Afrikaans culture.
The ANC, in response, has rejected any policies that would restrict one language in favour of another.
They argue that such actions are inconsistent with the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the Constitution, which were won through the struggles and sacrifices of the South African people. The ANC also points out that their stance aligns with the values of their organisation, which opposed the apartheid policies of the past.
In their statement, the ANC said, “We reflect on the commitment to education transformation and access to learning today, through the historical lens of the Freedom Charter, which Oom Gov believed in, and how it symbolises our advance towards a South Africa where ‘The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall Be Opened’ for all.”
IOL