Pretoria – On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed the resumption of the sections of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA) that he had previously deferred for three months.
The BELA Act was initially enacted on 13 September 2024.
President Ramaphosa remarked: “Upon signing the BELA Bill into law, I recognized the requests for further dialogue from various members of the Government of National Unity and other key stakeholders regarding the bill’s provisions related to admission and language.
“I noted that while I had endorsed the Bill, I would, in the spirit of collaboration and constructive discussion, delay its full implementation by three months.
“This crucial pause was designed to enable the parties to review these matters and suggest solutions to the differing viewpoints.”
“I also mentioned that if the parties could not achieve consensus by the end of the three-month timeframe, I would direct the Minister and the Department to proceed with the implementation of the Act.”
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During the last three months, President Ramaphosa noted that discussions occurred aimed at reaching consensus on the remaining contentious clauses of the BELA Act.
Several non-governmental organizations shared their perspectives, both in support of and opposition to the relevant sections.
“Last week, I received a report from the Government of National Unity’s ‘clearing house’ mechanism,” stated President Ramaphosa.
The “clearing house” serves as a platform to consolidate efforts among parties within the Government of National Unity and other parliamentary representatives to address contentious issues.
The outcomes are communicated to the leaders of the involved political parties.
In the ultimate report, President Ramaphosa disclosed that the parties agreed that there was no need to return the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act to Parliament for amendments to the disputed sections.
“In their final report, the parties concurred that there was no necessity to revert the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act to Parliament for alterations to the contested sections,” the President declared.
“The participants of the GNU clearing house achieved consensus on the comprehensive implementation of the Act.
“This stance was reaffirmed by the leaders of the parties within the GNU in a meeting I convened today.”
The President instructed the Minister of Basic Education to guarantee the complete enforcement of the BELA Act, following the backing of the leaders from the GNU parties.
Ramaphosa elaborated that the Act plays a crucial role in the ongoing efforts to create a more efficient and equitable education system in alignment with our Constitutional principles.
“The BELA Act furthers the initiatives from the past three decades to ensure that every child has equal access to quality education from early childhood through their entire schooling,” he emphasized.
“As a democratic nation dedicated to fostering a new society, we have clearly stated that every child deserves an education that prepares them for success, irrespective of their background, where they reside, or the language they speak.
“In enforcing this Act, our guidance is ultimately rooted in the Constitution.”
President Ramaphosa highlighted that the Bill of Rights guarantees the right to equality for every individual.
“It upholds the right of every individual to obtain a basic education,” he noted.
He continued: “Importantly, the Constitution asserts that every individual has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice where reasonably achievable.
“This right is equally applicable to an English speaker as it is to a Zulu speaker.
“It is also valid for someone who speaks Afrikaans, just as it applies to someone who communicates in Xitsonga, Sesotho, Sepedi, isiXhosa, Setswana, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, or siSwati.
“And now, it likewise applies equally to those who use South African Sign Language.”
President Ramaphosa noted that the Act introduces measures to empower schools to uphold these Constitutional rights.
“In applying this law, we must ensure that no language is demeaned,” he stressed.
“Rather, we must endeavor to ensure that all official languages are valued and promoted.”
*All images and video clips courtesy of GCIS
