Bela disaster: ANC must brace itself – communities will not give in
26 October 2023
The ANC government must brace itself, because diverse communities are now truly standing together for the first time and will not allow the Bela legislation to be turned into a Bela disaster. This is according to the civil rights organisation Cape Forum after it has just been announced that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (known as the Bela Bill) was passed in the National Assembly late this afternoon with 223 votes to 83.
Today Cape Forum together with AfriForum, Solidarity, Solidarity Helping Hand, Fedsas as well as various political parties including the FF Plus, DA and ACDP protested at the parliament against the Bela Bill. According to Cape Forum, this unity is the secret weapon for which the ANC government is not prepared. “Different organisations with diverse support bases have shown today that they stand united in the fight against the Bela Bill. If this bill is finally passed, it will seriously harm the future of all children – regardless of their parents’ political affiliation or preferences. This will leave us with a disaster in education that will cause indelible damage,” explains Bernard Pieters Manager of Community Activation at Cape Forum. He emphasises that in the meantime this organisation will consult with its legal team about the next step to ensure that the bill is stopped in its tracks.
The Bela Bill was accepted by ANC and EFF members in the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education in September.
Among other things, Cape Forum still demands that communities themselves should be able to decide on the future of their schools and maintains that the current system is a perfect model within the democratic order. School governing bodies are elected by the parents and are therefore the most ideal people to decide on admission requirements, language policy and the purchases of learning materials. The Bela Bill seeks to turn the balance of power around and place the final decision regarding these matters in the hands of the departmental heads.
An overwhelming number of individuals and organisations have already pointed out that the bill contains clauses that pose a serious threat to the future of quality education as well as to communities and parents’ decision-making powers over their children’s education.
“There was a large number of representatives who protested against this controversial bill today. It is gratifying to see that several organisations are jointly taking Cape Forum’s position against it. We urge communities to now continue with greater zeal to raise their voices against the Bela Act,” says Pieters.
Get involved with Cape Forum today and help make a difference. Send an email to [email protected] or join www.kaapseforum.co.za.
Issued by Bernard Peters, Manager: Community Activation, Cape Forum, 26 October 2023
