The Telegraph
Pretoria – On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the reinstatement of the sections of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA) that had been earlier delayed for three months.
BELA was initially enacted on 13 September 2024.
President Ramaphosa remarked: “Upon signing the BELA Bill into law, I recognized the calls for further dialogue from various parties within the Government of National Unity and other key stakeholders regarding the bill’s provisions on admissions and language.
“I indicated that while I had given my approval to the Bill, I would, in the spirit of collaboration and meaningful conversation, postpone its full implementation by three months.
“This essential pause aimed to give stakeholders time to reflect on these issues and suggest ways to reconcile the differing viewpoints.”
“I also indicated that if the parties could not reach a consensus by the end of the three-month period, I would direct the Minister and the Department to proceed with the Act’s implementation.”
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Over the last three months, President Ramaphosa noted discussions were held with the goal of reaching a consensus on the remaining contentious provisions of the BELA Act.
Several non-governmental organizations voiced their opinions, both in support of and opposition to the pertinent sections.
“Last week, I received a report from the Government of National Unity’s ‘clearing house’ mechanism,” President Ramaphosa stated.
The “clearing house” serves to unify parties within the Government of National Unity and other parliamentary representatives to tackle contentious issues.
The outcomes are then shared with the leaders of the participating political factions.
In the concluding report, President Ramaphosa revealed that the parties agreed that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act should not be returned to Parliament for revisions on the disputed sections.
“In their final report, the parties agreed that there was no necessity to revert the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act to Parliament for modifications to the contested sections,” the President affirmed.
“The participants of the GNU clearing house reached a consensus on the full implementation of the Act.
“This position was reinforced by the leaders of the parties within the GNU in a meeting I held today.”
The President stated he has instructed the Minister of Basic Education to ensure the thorough implementation of the BELA Act, following the backing from the leaders of the GNU parties.
Ramaphosa elaborated that the Act is crucial for the ongoing efforts to create a more effective and equitable education system in line with our Constitutional principles.
“The BELA Act promotes initiatives undertaken over the last thirty years to ensure that all children have equal access to quality education from early childhood through their entire schooling,” he remarked.
“As a democratic nation dedicated to building a new society, we affirm that every child deserves an education that prepares them for success, regardless of their background, where they live, or the language they speak.
“In enforcing this Act, we are ultimately guided by the Constitution.”
President Ramaphosa emphasized that the Bill of Rights guarantees the right to equality for all individuals.
“It safeguards every individual’s right to a basic education,” he stated.
He continued: “Importantly, the Constitution dictates that every individual has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice, where it is reasonably achievable.
“This right applies equally to an English speaker as to a Zulu speaker.
“It is equally relevant for someone who speaks Afrikaans, just as it is for someone who communicates in Xitsonga, Sesotho, Sepedi, isiXhosa, Setswana, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, or siSwati.
“And now, it equally applies to individuals who use South African Sign Language.”
President Ramaphosa indicated that the Act puts in place measures that enhance schools’ ability to protect these Constitutional rights.
“In applying this law, we must ensure that no language is undervalued,” he stressed.
“Instead, we must work to ensure that all official languages are embraced and promoted.”
*All images and video clips courtesy of GCIS
