Heavyweights band together to tackle BELA head-on
15 May 2024
The joint battle to protect Afrikaans schools under government siege is about to begin in all seriousness.
Solidarity, AfriForum and the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools (SCS) announced today at a joint media conference that they intend to team up in a major legal battle against the proposed Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, if it is to be signed into law by Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa as expected.
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) yesterday approved the amended BELA Bill, after which it should be approved tomorrow in the National Assembly (NA) before it is also presumably ratified by Pres. Ramaphosa.
However, the abovementioned organisations have today given assurances that they are prepared and ready to take this battle as far as necessary.
According to Dr Dirk Hermann, chief executive of Solidarity, they would have liked to resolve the dispute in a more amicable manner, but the government’s insistence on control over specifically schools’ language and admissions policy ensures that legal action is the only way out.
“It is unfortunate that the relationship between communities and the government must be regulated in court. A court battle is not beneficial for relationships. However, Solidarity is practiced in court matters – we are ready for the court battle. After all, the court is the great equaliser.
“The ANC cannot use its majority to enforce a verdict. The ANC is anxious to steamroller legislation. They are unsure about their power and they want to steamroller everything before the election. It is totally inappropriate,” Hermann said.
Leon Fourie, chief executive of the SCS, agreed that the organisations court papers are in place as this amended bill will undoubtedly violate Afrikaans children’s right to mother tongue education and it will irrevocably disrupt the balance of power that should exist between schools’ governing bodies and the government.
“We will fight the amended BELA Bill together on every front, as it reduces our schools’ space for greater independence, and therefore also threatens the educational excellence of our schools,” Fourie said.
Kallie Kriel, chief executive of AfriForum, described the amended BELA Bill as an act of aggression and an attack on Afrikaans schools and children, through which the government wants to gain control over the schools.
“The amended BELA Bill is a breach of the 1994 settlement and accepting it will cause a breach of trust with the Afrikaans community.
“The amended BELA Bill is the most serious threat that Afrikaans and Afrikaans schools have ever faced, and therefore AfriForum will take all possible national and international legal steps to oppose it,” Kriel said.
These organisations will not tolerate state centralisation and the capturing of Afrikaans schools. With the support of the public, these organisations will do everything in their power to stop the amended BELA Bill.
Issued by Solidarity, 15 May 2024
