Three-Month Delay for implementation of Bela Bill but legal action still considered – Theuns Eloff
Update: 2024-09-17
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the contentious Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela Bill) into law, which proposes various amendments, including giving provincial Heads of Departments greater control over schools’ language and admission policies. The Bill removes some decision-making powers from school governing bodies and is seen as a direct attack on schools that teach in Afrikaans. In an interview with Biznews, Theuns Eloff, chairperson of the Trust for Afrikaans Education (Trust vir Afrikaans Onderwys), said that Ramaphosa has, however, agreed to delay the implementation of two specific sections of the legislation—Sections 4 and 5—for three months to allow for further consultation. Eloff criticised the Bela Bill as a scapegoat for the government's shortcomings, highlighting that the real issue lies in the lack of newly built schools to meet the needs of a growing population in Gauteng. He noted that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi promised to construct 40 schools during his first term, but only four have been completed. Eloff also expressed discontent with the Gauteng Education Department's approach, which has involved sending officials to schools to measure up classrooms – including Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria - and instructing principals to increase the enrolment of non-Afrikaans speakers. He said failure to reach an agreement could result in a prolonged legal battle, potentially leading to court cases that could take five years to reach the Constitutional Court.
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