Mayor of the Bela-Bela Local Municipality Gloria Seleka says water in the area is safe for human consumption and the water quality testing is being conducted daily at purification plants. This after concerned residents under the Bela-Bela Local Municipality, marched to the municipal offices earlier in the week and submitted a memorandum of demands to the mayor’s office, raising complaints about water discolouration among many issues. The residents have given the council a 7-working-day ultimatum to respond to their demands and a feedback meeting has been scheduled for the 7th of March at the local community hall. Seleka has responded on the water issue on Capricorn Talk saying the water discolouration occurs during the heavy rain season as a result of the high level of magnesium in the water system, but it was sorted out by their supplier, Magalies Water. She also says the supply of water is sufficient. Seleka has acknowledged that there’s high unemployment rate in the area just like there is in other parts of the country, but the municipality is creating a conducive environment for businesses to becoming profitable. Copyright © 2022Capricorn FM.All rights reserved. JOHANNESBURG - Five more traffic officials have been arrested at the Bela Bela Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTS) in Limpopo This as part of operations to fight corruption related to the issuing of driving licences an investigation was launched to identify officials who were issuing learners and driver's licences without following proper procedures in exchange for bribes ALSO READ: RTMC closing in on licencing officials, driving school operators involved in issuing fraudulent driver’s licences The latest five arrests bring the total number of arrested suspects to 24. Of the 24 suspects, 11 have been arrested in connection with fraud and corruption at Lephalale DLTC on Friday last week. Over the weekend, eight were nabbed at Thabazimbi DLTC.  The matter was reported to the Hawks serious corruption investigation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation's national traffic anti-corruption unit. Investigations have identified that more than 1,300 applicants have been implicated in this criminal activity. The five suspects are scheduled to appear in the Bela Bela Magistrates Court on Friday. Sections The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education today took pains to emphasise the importance of implementing the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act in its entirety including the two sections that are in dispute The Department of Basic Education was in Parliament to brief the committee on its state of readiness to begin the school year to provide learning and teacher support material to roll out the National School Nutrition Programme and to provide safe and viable scholar transport It also briefed the committee on its early childhood development regime  Ms Maimela also congratulated the teachers and students of the matric class of 2024 who achieved a remarkable Bachelor pass rate she was disappointed by the low Bachelor passes in the Free State Province despite that province recording more matric passes than in previous years She was also concerned about the lower enrolment figures in Science Engineering and Mathematics subjects in certain provinces “Additional support should be offered in this regard to ensure there’s an uptake of these critical subjects,” she said On the topic of the large numbers of learners in all provinces who are reported to have not received admission in schools in 2025 committee member Mr Mandla Shikwambana asked if the delays in implementing the BELA Act are to blame for that responded by saying that it is impossible for a Minister not to implement an Act that has been enacted into law the BELA Act is fully implementable and is being implemented As a department we have had workshops with officials to ensure they are abreast with the Act,” she assured committee members She added every law has guidelines and regulations because “… not everyone is abreast of the processes of law-making the need for guidelines and regulations for principals and teachers to ensure they understand and make sense of it.” Committee members also had questions about dilapidated school infrastructure which they said pose imminent danger to learners and teachers and are not conducive to learning and teaching The Minister responded by saying that some of the responsibility for this lies at the feet of decade-long budget cuts “We have resolved to raise the fact that the education budget should not be the sole responsibility of the Minister of Finance given its national significance,” Ms Gwarube said The budget cuts have also contributed to the growing vacancy rate at various schools and the much-discussed cuts in teacher posts “The existing teaching vacancies have not been funded over the decade and that is not the decision of the Minister but of government,” the Minister pointed out When asked by Chairperson Maimela how the department intends to avert the cuts to teacher posts in the Western Cape and Gauteng Ms Gwarube replied that other than appealing to the government for more funding the department is in the process of reconfiguring its employment budget to see if it can mitigate the issue Speaking of the endemic challenges of pupils’ admission and placement at the start of every school year said he has come to realise that the number of children is growing The department’s Director for Education Management and Governance Development stated that this is often caused by internal migration He illustrated his point by saying: “Currently there is huge migration of black families from Soweto to [other] urban areas there are many schools in Soweto that are left empty.” This is also happening in the Eastern Cape “The department used to build a school in every week in the Eastern Cape but those schools are now empty due to migration.”  said the dire state of early childhood development centres in KwaZulu Natal is a grave concern The department’s Chief Director: Education Human Resource Management responded that the department will present a detailed report to the committee on 18 February on this sector because it is not part of the public education regime and requires a lot of funding and resources Committee member Mr Mandla Shikwambana was concerned about scholar transport on South Africa’s unsafe roads Ms Gwarube noted that the department is working hard to formulate a scholar transport policy with all stakeholders to ensure that scholars are safe committee member Mr Thulani Shongwe asked what the department is doing to address this growing problem as some teachers are too afraid to report to work in fear of their lives allegedly for reporting the fraudulent qualifications of some principals He called for all the qualifications of school principals to be verified before appointment reported that the department is working with the police in this regard and the police is monitoring 10 districts around the country where killings have been most prevalent As the first African country to preside over the G20 South Africa’s Parliament is championing Africa’s active participation in shaping global economic policies ensuring the continent is not just a passive player but a proactive contributor simahlangu@parliament.gov.za norms and standardsIssued by John Steenhuisen MP – Leader of the Democratic Alliance20 Dec 2024 in NewsThe outcome of the negotiations in the Clearing House Mechanism’s task team is a win-win compromise that enables the BELA Act to be implemented without undermining existing constitutional rights to mother tongue education the President’s announcement on the implementation of the BELA Act makes it clear that the Minister of Basic Education is now tasked with developing regulations as well as norms and standards that will govern the Act including contentious sections around language and admissions We have full confidence in Minister Gwarube’s ability to introduce fit-for-purpose guidelines that will protect school autonomy from subversion The fact that a sober-minded DA Minister is tasked with this critical work is a vindication of the DA’s role in the GNU as the champion of constitutional rights including the right to mother-tongue education The President’s announcement that the BELA Act be implemented in full was accepted by all the parties involved in the Task Team (DA GOOD and ANC) on condition that DA Minister Siviwe Gwarube issues norms standards and regulations to govern the implementation of the contested sections of the Act but this outcome has illustrated that the conflict resolutions of the GNU can work if parties show the necessary goodwill The DA remains determined to defend the existing right to mother-tongue education and expand it to increasing numbers of learners in South Africa Our insistence that the contested sections of the BELA Act can only be implemented with sufficient guardrails put in place under a DA Minister registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO BELA-BELA – Two drivers were arrested over the weekend on the N1 freeway near Bela-Bela after being caught speeding excessively A 38-year-old man driving a Volkswagen Golf hatchback was apprehended on 27 April 2025 for travelling at 198 km/h in a 120 km/h zone a 29-year-old man was caught speeding at 199 km/h in a Renault Clio hatchback on the same stretch of road Both drivers spent the night in custody before being granted bail and are scheduled to appear in the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court on 29 April 2025 The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety has reiterated its commitment to cracking down on reckless driving warning that speeding remains one of the leading causes of road fatalities “Speeding is a leading cause of road fatalities Let’s work together to make our roads safer Obey speed limits and exercise caution on the roads,” said the Department Law enforcement officers continue to intensify operations to clamp down on speeding motorists Authorities have emphasized that excessive speeding will not be tolerated and website in this browser for the next time I comment We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again The Office of the Deputy President has learned of an agreement on the BELA Act from informal channels and has since written a letter to all members of the GNU clarifying that the process that is referred to in the statement supposedly released by Solidarity is based on a process outside the sanctioned process of the Clearing House of the parties that signed the statement of intent According to the statement only one party from GNU would have been involved in a parallel process to the one sanctioned by the GNU parties and signatories of the statement of intent the Minister of Education and an official from government would have been complicit in this meeting The GNU and its representative parties are still engaged in a process that will be finalised soon ‘We call on all parties that signed the statement of intent to uphold their bonafides and cooperate with the official process,’ said the Deputy President like other ACTs is a product of parliament and the President and no intervention can therefore downplay the centrality of these key role players The Deputy President assures the representatives of all political parties in the GNU Clearing House Mechanism that processes will unfold to manage the situation collectively with members of the GNU towards finding an amicable solution Representatives of political parties in the GNU Clearing House Mechanism will be informed officially about the details of the next meeting where the recommendations of the Sub-committee will be tabled Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840 Head of Office of the Deputy President on 082 900 1893 has welcomed the arrest of suspects implicated in spiking and murder incidents on the N1 freeway Hadebe says the arrest of the suspects will go a long way to solving a number of attacks on motorists and passengers in the province where victims driving along the N1 freeway in the area of Bela Bela and other parts along the N1 had their vehicles damaged as a result of spiking these motorists were attacked and robbed of their valuables Police have been working tirelessly to track and trace these suspects The suspects were arrested after combined efforts by members of the South African Police Service and members from the neighbouring North West and Gauteng provinces An identification parade was held on 14 November 2024 in which witnesses managed to successfully identify the suspects as those who robbed them The suspects were then arrested and charged for cases of armed robbery and murder The following are facing armed robbery charges (which took place in June 2024 in Bela Bela): Alberto Quiton Lucas The following are facing a murder charge (which happened in July 2024): Khoza Khumalo The accused appeared in the Bela Bela Magistrate's Court on Friday and their cases were postponed to 9 December 2024 General Enquiries newsfiles@gcis.gov.za Tel: 012 473 0213Editor Roze Britz roze@gcis.gov.za News Editor Janine Arcangeli janine@gcis.gov.zaEditor-in-Chief Zanele Mngadizanelemngadi@gcis.gov.za  Cabinet has welcomed the signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill into law marking a significant step towards transforming and enhancing the nation’s basic education system.  President Ramaphosa publicly signed the Bill on 13 September 2024 during a signing ceremony held at the Union Buildings The BELA Act amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 (SASA) and the Employment of Educators Act 1998 (EEA) to account for developments in the education landscape since the enactment of the original legislation The amendments are a response to court judgments that protect and give effect to the Bill of Rights.  government has made notable progress in expanding access to education for the children of the country The Act seeks to address these challenges and is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to build an education system that is more effective and more equitable.  As part of advancing diversity and inclusion the new legislation addresses the issue of language policy Schools have to consider the broader linguistic needs of the communities in which they are situated Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing on Friday Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said this landmark legislation obliges school governing bodies to take into account the linguistic needs of the wider community to promote inclusivity in education “This will go a long way in making education affordable more especially in the suburban areas where majority of schools are Afrikaans teaching whereas the broader community around the school are English speaking,” Minister Ntshavheni said make Grade R the new compulsory school starting age and also promotes greater accountability with respect to the role of parents and caregivers in ensuring children attend school consistently Home schooling will now be subject to more effective regulation and oversight.  “In a move to strengthen Early Childhood Education the BELA Act makes Grade R the new compulsory starting age for school It also holds parents accountable by criminalising the failure to ensure their children attend school There is no reason for a child not to attend school in South Africa at a Basic Education level because education is free,” Minister Ntshavheni said The law requires schools to apply the same standards for the admission of learners The Act contains provisions for improving school admissions policies particularly with respect to vulnerable learners like children of undocumented migrants.  the new law guides schools on the development of codes of conduct that take into account respect for religious and cultural beliefs This is important for fostering a more tolerant learning environment and a more tolerant society.  The Act further seeks to ensure uniformity and fairness in educational standards across all schools To improve safety in the learning environment the legislation reinforces the ban on corporal punishment It introduces stronger penalties for those who administer corporal punishment.  The legislation also introduces financial and public accountability frameworks for School Governing Bodies It guides the oversight of their activities and work.  Cabinet further welcomed the decision by the President to allow a three-month period of engagement on two clauses concerning schools' admissions and language policies as part of ensuring a national consensus and national cohesion.  Following different views expressed about the legislation President Ramaphosa decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5  by three months The President explained to South Africans that the parties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) expressed their wish to further engage each other on sections of the Bill (at the time) that deal with issues of admission and language.  He said this will give the parties time to deliberate on these issues and make proposals on how the different views may be accommodated should the parties not be able to agree on an approach then government will proceed with the implementation of these parts of the Act Education expert Mary Metcalf said she anticipates thoughtful and deliberate discussions regarding the BELA Act to unfold across the provinces over the next three months.  “My expectation is that there will be very careful interaction with provinces in terms of Grade R and realistic dates of implementation that match careful planning… and that would be clause 4 of BELA what is important primarily there - is for the discussions to recognise firstly that BELA doesn’t change any existing constitutional or legal provisions in law,” she said She explained that the BELA Act addresses cases where procedural fairness by an education department was found lacking particularly when provincial education departments could have handled discussions with school governing bodies more carefully Metcalfe allayed fears that the delay in implementation of clauses 4 and 5 of the Act may leave education departments without policy direction She explained that during the next three months based on the South African Schools Act and the previous Basic Education Laws Amendment Act ensuring that education departments and the public continue to be guided without any legal uncertainty The two specific clauses in the Act have faced opposition primarily due to concerns that they strip school governing bodies (SGBs) of their authority over admissions and language policy decisions.  Clause 5 has drawn criticism from those who believe it will disadvantage schools that operate in languages other than English potentially undermining mother tongue education.  the clauses stipulate that SGBs will retain control over these policies as long as they are submitted for approval to the provincial Head of Department Metcalfe stressed that there is significant misunderstanding among the public regarding what the BELA Act aims to achieve with mother tongue education She clarified that the right to be taught in one’s mother tongue is firmly protected by the Constitution “The Constitution says everybody has a right to learn in their language of choice and it is the responsibility of the school governing bodies and the [provincial] Education Departments to ensure that this is practicable and that it takes into account the circumstances,” she said On the clause that now compels parents to send children to Grade R for compulsory schooling Metcalfe again laid aside fears that government is attempting to “criminalise parents” approximately 96% to 97% of learners are already enrolled in Grade R meaning most children aged five turning six are already participating in this level of education the State is not currently required to fund teachers' salaries or provide the necessary infrastructure although public facilities are often utilised for this purpose she explained that the State will be obligated to pay the teachers and ensure that all necessary resources and infrastructure are in place.  “Bringing attendance and compulsory attendance one year earlier means that we are able to reach children given the levels of inequality in our country that young children are able to access formal learning… where they are exposed to text; where they’re exposed to group learning It’s a good thing that we do this earlier,” she said President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday evening announced his intention to sign a Presidential Proclamation that will bring the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act into operation The BELA Bill was passed by the 6th democratic Parliament on 26 October 2023 The President assented to the Bill on 13 September 2024. During the public signing of the Bill President Ramaphosa announced his decision to delay the implementation date for sections 4 and 5 by three months. The President said in a statement issued this evening (20 December 2024) that he had met with the leaders of the parties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) today. “I accordingly advised them that I would proceed to sign a Presidential Proclamation to bring the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act into operation from today I have instructed the Minister of Basic Education to see to the full implementation of the BELA Act,” the President said. ConsensusThe President explained that at the time he assented to the BELA Bill  "I noted that a number of parties to the Government of National Unity and other key role players in our country had expressed their wish to further engage each other on sections of the bill that deal with issues of admission and language.”“I said that whilst I had assented to the Bill in the spirit of cooperation and meaningful engagement I would delay the implementation date of the BELA Act in totality by three months.”The three months would give the parties time to deliberate on these issues and make proposals on how the divergent views may be accommodated He also said that should the parties not agree on an approach at the end of the three-month period he would then direct the Minister and the Department to proceed with the implementation of the Act.The President explained that he has also instructed the Basic Education Minister to do what is “necessary” as is customary with any law to ensure that the timeframe of implementation – particularly with regard to the preparedness of the system for universal Grade R access – and the consequential regulations setting out the norms and standards are prepared.“All bodies and all officials responsible for the implementation of this Act are required at all times to act in accordance with the Constitution the law and the relevant policies and regulations,” said President Ramaphosa.The President said that over the last three months discussions have been held with a view of reaching consensus on these outstanding clauses of the BELA Act.Various formations outside of government have also made representations both for and against the relevant sections Last week the President received a report from the GNU clearing house mechanism.READ | Deputy President Mashatile clarifies position of the GNU on BELA Act This is the structure which brings together the parties to the Government of National Unity and other parties represented in Parliament to deal with contentious issues and thereafter report to the leaders of the political parties represented in the GNU we have stated unequivocally that all children must get an education that prepares them to succeed in life no matter what the circumstances of their birth might be we are all ultimately guided by the Constitution.” Equality in educationHe stressed that the Bill of Rights guarantees the right of every person to equality and that it guarantees the right of every person to receive a basic education.“We must therefore do everything in our means to ensure that every child it also applies equally to someone who uses the South African Sign Language.”The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act enacts measures that strengthen the ability of schools to give effect to these Constitutional rights.“In the application of this law we must ensure that no language is diminished we must work to ensure that all official languages are valued and promoted,” said the President at the signing ceremony of the BELA Bill today that the implementation date of its most controversial clauses will be postponed for three months for further discussions on the current impasse relating to Sections 4 and 5 of the Bill the DA also note the President’s comment that “should the parties not be able to agree on an approach then we will proceed with the implementation of these parts of the Bill” the ANC will proceed with implementing the clauses that empower provincial departments to over-ride school governing bodies on the issue of the language policy of schools The DA rejects this threat by the President We regard his approach as contrary to the spirit of the Statement of Intent that formed the foundation of the GNU which requires the participating parties to reach “sufficient consensus” on divisive issues There could hardly be a more divisive issue in South Africa than the right to mother tongue instruction in schools where this right has been established for decades Afrikaans medium schools constitute less than 5% of the country’s schools Their existence in no way contributes to the crisis in education and turning them into dual-medium or English-medium schools will not help improve the quality of education for South Africa’s learners The ANC government must stop violating the constitutional rights of parents and governing bodies in functional schools Instead the government should apply itself to improving the vast majority of poorly performing schools that teach through the medium of English If the President is serious about seeking a solution that will protect the constitutional right to mother tongue education we welcome his announcement of a 3-month delay in the implementation of Clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill If this is just a delaying tactic to defuse opposition before implementing the clauses at a later point then we will continue to fight this Bill with everything we have got President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill into law which aims to strengthen governance within South Africa's education sector Delivering remarks during the signing ceremony held at the Union Buildings on Friday President Ramaphosa said the signing of the Bill marked an important step towards resolving the longstanding challenges in the country’s education system.  the President said government has made notable progress in expanding access to education for the children of the country he acknowledged that barriers to access still remain there are challenges in basic education that hinder our progress We have seen cases of learners being denied admission to schools because of their language policies “We have had cases of children not being allowed back to school or to sit exams because their parents cannot pay school fees We have seen great disparities in norms and standards in governance and in access to resources,” the President said.  He emphasised that the Bill seeks to address these challenges and is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to build an education system that is more effective and more equitable.  The Bill follows an extensive consultation process that sought to take account of views and suggestions from across society.  engagement and debate are defining features of our democracy They enrich the policies that are adopted and the laws that are passed The law that we are signing today further opens the doors of learning “It lays a firm foundation for learning from an early age This will enhance our focus on Early Childhood Development It will ensure young children are better prepared for formal schooling,” the President said.  He added that the law requires schools to apply the same standards for the admission of learners The Bill contains provisions for improving school admissions policies The legislation promotes greater accountability with respect to the role of parents and caregivers in ensuring children attend school consistently the new law guides schools on the development of codes of conduct that take into account respect for religious and cultural beliefs.  “This is important for fostering a more tolerant learning environment and a more tolerant society.  “As part of advancing diversity and inclusion Schools have to consider the broader linguistic needs of the communities in which they are situated,” the President said.  The law also seeks to align the role of the School Governing Body in determining language and admission policies with the responsibility of provincial education departments to ensure the constitutional right to basic education.  It seeks to ensure uniformity and fairness in educational standards across all schools It introduces stronger penalties for those who administer corporal punishment In light of the different views expressed about the Bill President Ramaphosa said he had decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill by three months the parties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) have expressed their wish to further engage each other on sections of the Bill that deal with issues of admission and language.  “In the spirit of cooperation and meaningful engagement I have decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5 of the Bill by three months,” he said.  President Ramaphosa said this will give the parties time to deliberate on these issues and make proposals on how the different views may be accommodated.  “Should the parties not be able to agree on an approach then we will proceed with the implementation of these parts of the Bill,” he said.  He said all agree on the need for a common framework for collaboration as government smarter and in a more cooperative manner,” the President said.  He called on everyone to work together to ensure that all children receive good quality education wherever they are and whatever their circumstances.  The ceremony was attended by Basic Education Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule Mpumalanga MEC for Education Cathy Dlamini KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education Sipho Hlomuka and Limpopo MEC for Education Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya South Africa’s president signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment bill into law We explain why the storm just won’t die down The Basic Education Laws Amendment bill, or Bela bill, was published as a draft in May 2022 it had attracted more than 29,000 public comments many of which expressed concern about the proposed changes Nevertheless, parliament passed the bill in May 2024, and president Cyril Ramaphosa signed it into law on 13 September.  the administrative capital of South Africa Get a weekly dose of facts delivered straight to your inbox The government argues that while there’s been progress in widening access to education for the country’s children there are still many barriers that the law seeks to address.       Key components of the new law include revising existing school admission and language policies, regulating homeschooling and extending the number of years of compulsory schooling. Others introduce jail terms for parents who do not send their children to school and revise the definition of corporal punishment to include non-physical forms of punishment The law has been dogged by false information including that it will give schools control over gender-affirming healthcare for pupils and also allow teachers to facilitate abortions for pupils.  Africa Check fact-checked these types of claims and found they were unsubstantiated But the most controversial clauses have been 4 and 5 of the act so much so that the president delayed their implementation for three months for consultations The DA, for example, says these “give the state too much control over who gets an education at any particular school Section 4 gives the DBE greater powers over school admission policies. Specifically, it allows the department to monitor how schools admit children to promote inclusivity and consider vulnerable children However, critics argue that it reduces the autonomy of school governing bodies (SGBs) to make decisions tailored to their specific communities.  Language has long been identified as one of the barriers to education in the country. This is because, historically, language disputes in “former white schools” have led to the exclusion of black pupils from “single-medium Afrikaans-language schools”, writes Dr Faranaaz Veriava. Veriava is a senior lecturer in the Department of Private Law at the University of Pretoria and head of basic education at Section 27, which advocates for access to basic education.  Historically, SGBs have used their policy-making functions to decide who can access their schools.  Veriava told Africa Check that “SGBs still make policy Where the DBE changes a school’s language policy it should follow “very strict procedural requirements” Education expert Mary Metcalf said the act’s clauses actually stipulated that SGBs would still have control over language policies as long as they were approved by the head of the department and met constitutional requirements She said that the right to be taught in one’s home language Although there has been a backlash against implementing the Bela Act in South Africa some experts have noted the positive aspects of the new law “The Bela [Act] is really about the loss of power to control access to particular schools, especially in light of the government’s failure to build more schools,”  Stellenbosch University’s Dr Jerome Joorst told Africa Check He said the Bela Act would provide “equal access for all to good quality schools” Dr Solange Rosa, director of the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Cape Town, writes that many children living in rural areas are turned away from schools because of previous rigid school policies the changes to the law don’t take away the SGBs’ role in these policies Concerns over the Bela Act go beyond admissions and language policies. Those who oppose the act fear that it will give the government the power to determine the curriculum of all schools, including the homeschooling sector But the DBE says the act does not include any curriculum-related matters.  Section 27 has also debunked this claim explaining that parents who choose to homeschool will still have the right to choose the curriculum for their children as long as it is in the child’s best interest.  “The intention of this clause is not to control children’s education but to bring regulation to a sector which for the most part has been unregulated,” it said Africa Check has also seen claims of concerns around the introduction of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) into school curriculums and taught to pupils from a young age.   But according to the DBE the act makes “no mention” of school subjects “Should the state wish to change the curriculum to include CSE, they would have to meaningfully engage with stakeholders,” Section 27 adds You can republish the text of this article free of charge, both online and in print. However, we ask that you pay attention to these simple guidelines as in most cases we do not own the copyright 3. Make sure you credit "Africa Check" in the byline and don't forget to mention that the article was originally published on africacheck.org public figures need to be held to account for what they say non-partisan organisation which assesses claims made in the public arena using journalistic skills and evidence drawn from the latest online tools sorting fact from fiction and publishing the results Help us keep it that way by supporting our work Africa Check values your trust and is committed to the responsible management, use and protection of personal information. See our privacy policy. Support independent fact-checking in Africa. The chief executive officer of Solidarity, Dr Dirk Hermann, announced in an exciting post on social media that a settlement regarding the BELA Act has been reached at Nedlac. The FF Plus is overjoyed and wishes to congratulate Solidarity. According to Hermann’s post, the controversial sections in the BELA Act relating to language and admission policy will no longer be implemented on 13 December. The Department of Basic Education first needs to develop policy documents before anything can be implemented. ccordingly, the provisions cannot be imposed on schools that are already running at full capacity, among other things. This breakthrough follows a public participation process by Parliament during which the Bill elicited a lot of opposition. The ANC, however, steamrollered it through Parliament just before the elections on 29 May 2024 in an attempt to circumvent an unfavourable election outcome (from an ANC perspective). The turnout of more than ten thousand people who demonstrated at the Voortrekker Monument made it clear that the law is a problem that will not go away on its own. The FF Plus believes this breakthrough proves that political and civil pressure can always still influence reality. The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) in the Mbombela Local Municipality (Mbombela/Nelspruit, Barberton, Hazyview, Kaapschehoop, Skukuza, White River) is deeply concerned by the utter lack Yesterday’s EFF march to Kleinfontein was nothing but political theatrics riddled with racism to divert attention away from the failures of the coalition in the The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) questions the Tshwane Metro’s Department of Human Settlements’ decision to relocate yet another 5 200 people to a piece ❗️Corné Mulder: GNU must unite or fail — as Trump-era US eyes ANC’s foreign blunders @alechogg @MulderCorn VF Plus dien griefskrif in teen Mangaung-watertariefverhoging | Freedom Front Plus Die VF Plus het ʼn griefskrif teen die Mangaung-metro se voorgestelde watertariefverhoging van 11% oorhandig aan die ... The Freedom Front Plus is committed to group rights, against affirmative action and towards a better SA for all. at today’s mass march against the BELA Act in Pretoria The DA has long opposed Clauses 4 and 5 of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA) these clauses give the state too much control over who gets an education at any particular school everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice These hard-fought rights enshrined in our constitution cannot simply be given away at the stroke of a pen are able to make decisions which reflect the needs of parents and the local communities We cannot allow this authority to be handed over to an official in a provincial office far from the needs and wants of community members Protection of mother-tongue education is critical Imagine trying to learn maths or science in a language which is not your home language Clause 4 and 5 of the BELA Act give too much authority to provincial governments and take away too much of our democratic rights as parents They pose a massive risk to the beautiful diversity of culture and language in South Africa We need to focus on improving the standard of education in our schools across the board rather than micro-managing language and admissions policies If we are to produce learners who are ready to be employed Children need to be taught wherever is most convenient for them to go to school jobs and a prosperous life for all hinge on a society filled with capable and capacitated youth All our policies will fail if we do not safeguard them first The ongoing deadlock between the DA and ANC over the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill highlights the alarming dysfunction of South Africa’s coalition government If these two parties cannot agree on critical legislative matters South Africans will continue to bear the brunt of policy paralysis—fuelling unemployment and the collapse of basic service delivery Today marks the deadline for parties within the government of national unity to resolve their impasse over clauses 4 and 5 of the BELA Act These clauses concern the authority to determine school language policies and the procedures governing school admissions the DA and ANC have issued conflicting statements on how to proceed reflecting the absence of a coherent and unified approach Ministers who sit in the same Cabinet seem to be working at cross purposes engaging in political manoeuvring rather than addressing the pressing needs of South Africa’s education system While the President has granted a brief three-month consultation period for stakeholders to provide input on these clauses ActionSA views this as little more than window dressing It does not reflect a serious commitment to addressing the dire state of South Africa’s education system which was underscored yet again this month when South African children ranked last in mathematics and science among 54 countries in an international study Although the BELA Act’s stated objectives may appear noble its contents reveal a troubling centralisation of power the Bill would grant the Basic Education Minister sweeping authority to dictate school language policies undermining the role of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and stripping parents of critical decision-making rights including their choice to homeschool their children This deadlock over the BELA Act is emblematic of the broader failures of coalition governance where political turf wars trump the urgent need for effective policies ActionSA believes South Africa cannot afford further delays in addressing the root causes of the education crisis which jeopardises the future of millions of learners and the country’s development as a whole ActionSA remains committed to advocating for practical and community-driven solutions to fix South Africa’s broken education system and to restore hope for a brighter future the accused behind a series of kidnappings was back in police custody last Wednesday night after being arrested in Bela-Bela Rising Sun reports that Charloos’ arrest followed his failure to appear in court last Tuesday to answer charges linked to the 2022 kidnapping of a Lenasia businessman His alleged accomplices in that case are Kenny Langa The National Prosecuting Authority’s regional spokesperson told the Lenasia Rising Sun that the three accused – Langa and Tsotetsi – have already been convicted Local police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi says Charloos had been out on R1m bail A charge of contempt of court was added to his growing list of offences Charloos faces continued court appearances Nevhuhulwi adds: “A new charge of kidnapping will be brought against him and he will be joining his co-accused on April 9.” This latest charge is connected to the abduction of 20-year-old Mohammad Bhiko on March 18 in Lenasia Khanye Magadla and others have been arrested in connection with the case Charloos is also expected to appear in court next Tuesday for the start of his 2022 kidnapping trial Article: Caxton Network News ‘We bring you the latest Garden Route Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio AfriForum is set to take legal action against the government over the promulgation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act In a briefing on Thursday, AfriForum, Solidarity and the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools (SCS) condemned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s full implementation of the Act, calling it “irrational” and a violation of several agreements.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The groups argue that President Ramaphosa’s decision contradicts prior agreements and ignores a crucial recommendation from Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube Gwarube had advised delaying the implementation of the language and admissions policies until necessary norms and standards were in place The core of the dispute centres on what these organisations perceive as a breach of protocol by both Gwarube and Ramaphosa Solidarity and SCS argue that Gwarube’s actions are inconsistent with her own position They point out that just two weeks before the promulgation especially in areas such as language policy and admissions she went on to co-sign the promulgation notice with the President In November 2024, Gwarube reached an agreement with Solidarity at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) regarding two contentious clauses in the Act. This followed a dispute lodged by Solidarity on 1 October 2024, when it sought authorisation for a protected protest against these sections.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads sections 4 and 5 of the Act were to be phased in contingent on the successful implementation of Gwarube’s recommendations to Ramaphosa Sections 4 and 5 of the Act provide for school governing bodies (SGBs) to maintain control over language and admissions policies subject to oversight from the provincial head of department Gwarube clarified that the agreement with Solidarity did not replace the ongoing consultations within the Government of National Unity (GNU) clearing house both President Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile publicly rebuked her for the deal Read more: Gwarube’s Nedlac Bela Act deal moot while consultations continue, insist Ramaphosa, Mashatile Ramaphosa announced that he would sign a Presidential Proclamation to bring the Bela Act into immediate effect Gwarube is set to lead the implementation of the Act and she emphasised that the first priority would be to establish “guidelines and regulations” to provide legal clarity on the Act’s provisions According to Dr Dirk Hermann, COO of Solidarity, the promulgation of the Bela Act without considering Gwarube’s conditions is a “dishonourable breach” of the agreement that was supposed to guide its implementation. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads He expressed his organisation’s surprise and displeasure at the full promulgation of the Bela Act especially since it was done without any of the conditions the minister had recommended to the President “The Constitution and case law confirm that the minister’s recommendation as the person responsible for implementing the Act The promulgation of a law is not the sole task of the President The purpose of the minister’s recommendations is to postpone the Act’s enactment so that the necessary steps can be taken to implement the Act effectively,” he said In the legal letters sent to both Gwarube and Ramaphosa the organisations assert that the Act’s promulgation is not only irrational but violates various agreements made between the government and parties such as Solidarity at Nedlac The letter to Ramaphosa argues that the decision to bring the entire Act into operation is irrational and undermines constitutional processes despite Gwarube’s well-reasoned recommendations — which were part of the Nedlac consultation process — these were disregarded when he signed the proclamation The organisations further argue that Ramaphosa’s decision to proceed without consulting the Cabinet or properly engaging with the GNU was problematic They stress that the Clearing House Mechanism cannot replace the Cabinet’s role and they question whether external pressures — from ANC-aligned groups and trade unions — played a role in disregarding the minister’s advice “We cannot discount the contents of the media release by the ANC Study Group of Basic Education on 5 November amidst the ongoing consultation process and public statements by the premier of Gauteng and other ANC-aligned trade unions such as Sadtu which placed pressure on you to put the entire Bela Act into operation These actions also clearly disrespected the consultation process and the importance of your and the minister’s function with regard to the issuing of the proclamation,” read the letter despite the recommendations of the task team established during the Clearing House Mechanism of the GNU process which largely aligned with Gwarube’s proposals these recommendations were unexpectedly set aside at the last minute just prior to the issuing of the proclamation “We are given to understand that the ANC and Good [party] were opposed to such recommendations and that this turn of events was ultimately decisive in the form in which the proclamation was signed and issued,” read the letter. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads they state that the proclamation included the full implementation of amendments to the South African Schools Act (Sasa) without the preconditions that had been recommended by Gwarube They point to her earlier advice to Ramaphosa that the relevant sections should only be enacted after the development of national norms “Your recommendation to the President outlined in detail the necessity for you to finalise norms and standards regulations and national policy before the relevant sections come into operation It is not clear to us why the President has not followed your recommendations or whether there has been a change in your recommendations at the eleventh hour before your countersigning of the proclamation,” read the letter The letter argues that this premature implementation undermines the governance framework established by Sasa particularly the democratic role of school governing bodies in determining admission and language policies which empower provincial education officials to override these policies will lead to arbitrary decision-making and disrupt the essential partnership between the state and school communities The letters ask if Gwarube would be open to further discussions to avoid litigation and seek ways to address the legality issue arising from the proclamation in its current form acknowledging that this would require Ramaphosa’s agreement and consent The letters also set a deadline of 10 days for the government to resolve the matter Should no satisfactory resolution be reached within this timeframe the organisations have expressed their intention to pursue legal action Passed in May 2023, the Bela Act seeks to address historical inequalities in South Africa’s education system It responds to Constitutional and high court rulings aimed at correcting exclusionary language and admissions policies by school governing bodies (SGBs) that limit access to quality education Advocacy groups such as SECTION 27 support the Act emphasising that its provisions are not meant to undermine SGB authority but to use departmental oversight to combat discrimination and promote inclusivity Read more: There are 56 good reasons South Africa needs the Bela Bill However, the Democratic Alliance, with groups like Solidarity, AfriForum, and the SA Onderwysersunie, have opposed these clauses, arguing that the Act undermines SGB authority by centralising decision-making. They have previously threatened legal action over sections 4 and 5 Hermann stressed that Gwarube’s recommendations were meant to ensure a more measured approach to the implementation of the Act particularly concerning the protection of mother-tongue education the government is accused of undermining the educational rights of learners who rely on Afrikaans as their primary language of instruction describes the full promulgation of the Bela Act as an “act of aggression” by the government towards Afrikaans schools and children “The promulgation indicates that the ANC is busy turning the Government of National Unity into the government of national disagreement that aims to co-opt parties like the DA and FF+ to help the ANC carry out its policy,” he said CEO of the SCS Leon Fourie echoed similar concerns suggesting that political pressure from anti-Afrikaans factions within the ANC may have played a significant role in the decision to ignore the minister’s recommendations He pointed out that the President had failed to provide any justification for disregarding Gwarube’s advice and the agreements reached with Solidarity “It appears that the President’s irrational promulgation of the Bela Act in its entirety succumbed to the political pressure from the anti-Afrikaans elements within the ANC,” said Fourie Head of Operations at the Solidarity Movement said that alongside the legal actions against the promulgation notice of the Bela Act institutions within the Solidarity Movement will also focus this year on ensuring that the norms standards and regulations related to language and admissions policies – now being developed by Gwarube – include provisions designed to prevent the abuse of power by education officials and protect Afrikaans schools from discrimination “The institutions of the Solidarity Movement also reserve the right to take legal action against the unconstitutionality of the Bela Act itself after concluding the legal process against the promulgation notice,” Human added representing the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) expressed the union’s support for the Bela Act saying that they believe the Act is aligned with its intended goals the Bela Act is crucial for transforming South Africa’s education system aiming to create a more equitable and accessible education landscape for all learners across the country “We believe that the Bela Act is correct as it is but would not want to see them succeeding in court because we want to see the Bela Act being implemented so that it can take forward the transformation agenda of our education system to a more equitable and accessible system,” she told Daily Maverick Cembi said that the issues surrounding admissions and language policies in the Bela Act were not new but were directly related to previous court rulings Cembi said these judgments provided the government with a mandate to take an oversight role in matters related to education and admissions She emphasised that the provisions included in the Bela Act aligned with these prior court decisions ensuring that the Act was consistent with legal precedents on education the Good party issued a statement condemning the legal action by Solidarity and AfriForum against the promulgation of the Bela Act describing the proceedings as being “steeped in bad faith” The Nedlac deal was apparently secretly negotiated outside the Nedlac process without any public record — discovered only after the Good Party filed a Promotion of Access to Information Act request and obtained the Nedlac records “This lack of transparency further erodes the integrity of the Nedlac process and casts doubt on the legitimacy of the agreement The Nedlac documents reveal that Solidarity understood their agreement carried no bearing on the GNU process and conceded as much,” read the statement by Good party secretary-general Brett Herron Herron said a key misunderstanding in Solidarity’s case is the claim that the Bela Act was set to be implemented on 13 December 2024 This date marked the end of the consultation period constituted an abuse of process and undermined the spirit of the Labour Relations Act Solidarity merely recycled old ideas already under review by the GNU clearing house “This lack of meaningful contribution exposes their participation as disingenuous aiming to delay and distract rather than resolve The legal proceedings instituted by Solidarity and AfriForum lack credibility and substance as they rest on a foundation of bad faith and procedural abuse The Bela Act is a win for children,” Herron said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that if legal action had been or was being initiated the President would respond to their papers as required Gwarube’s spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa had not responded by the time of publication I had a feeling that this would happen the schism has now become a reality The first legal challenge to a decision taken by the Honerable President in bad faith Wonder why private schools are doing so well An approach is a rule that admission is based on distance from school and then refines that by how many schools in a district should be dual-medium and how many can be one language Personally : we would be better off with dual language – English plus the other local one ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " says she expects careful and considered engagements around the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act Metcalfe was speaking during an exclusive interview with SAnews following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the then Bill into law and subsequent announcement that the implementation of clauses 4 and 5 of the Act would be delayed by three months after some public outcry over clauses 4 and 5 of the Act what is important primarily there - is for the discussions to recognise firstly that BELA doesn’t change any existing constitutional or legal provisions in law “What BELA does is it takes the license from all court cases where that procedural fairness that has been followed by a potential education department has been found to be wanting where the provincial Education Department could have managed the conversation between the school governing body (SGB) and itself in a way that was more careful,” she said “What happens in those three months [is that]… we continue to use the existing law so we’re not in a vacuum the previous Basic Education Laws Amendment Act which is based on the South African Schools Act and that will continue to guide the work of education departments and give direction to the public,” she said There has been opposition to two particular clauses in the Act The opposition stems from the belief that the clauses take away the powers of an SGB to make decisions on school admissions and language policies there has been opposition based on the belief that schools which operate in languages either than English will be prejudiced state that an SGB retains control over these policies provided that the policies are submitted to a provincial Head of Department for approval in accordance with the Constitution.  READ | Government Gazette on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act  Metcalfe emphasised that there is “a lot of miscommunication in the public around what BELA is doing with mother tongue education”.  “The first principle that everybody needs to understand is that the right to instruction in your mother tongue is enshrined in the Constitution.  the education expert added that changing demographics and population shifts which impact language use in certain areas require schools to adapt to the people that they serve where we have very intermingled multilingual communities is the large urban metropolitan areas like Soweto where you find all South African languages you take a part of the eastern area of Limpopo where you might have Tshivenda and Xitsonga language speakers in one community and you might find that there have been demographic changes where the Tshivenda speaking population is growing and the Xitsonga speaking population is reducing You would then find that the Tshivenda learners might need more spaces than those that exist in Xitsonga schools it would be the responsibility of the department to speak to the school governing body of the Xitsonga speaking schools to say is there a way in which we can use the spare capacity in your school and have a dual medium or parallel medium school so that the Tshivenda speaking learners are able to get a place in schools Most South Africans would understand that,” she said “spells out the procedures by which the Basic Education Department will engage” SGBs to “suggest that the school should be dual medium or parallel medium so that the available spaces in the public school are used in the best interests” The Act now compels parents to send children to Grade R for compulsory schooling we have about 96% to 97% of learners in Grade R there’s almost complete participation of learners who are five turning six in Grade R and what that means is that while many public schools have Grade R attached the State is not responsible for teachers' salaries or necessarily for infrastructure although often public infrastructure is used for Grade R and must make sure that all of the resources are there and the infrastructure.  Metcalfe urged parents and SGBs to rest assured that the new Act sets out guidelines on the two school policies and how Education Departments act “[BELA] sets out that if the provincial Head of Department doesn’t agree with the decisions of a school governing body [the Act] sets out every step of the process that follows: how parents are consulted; how this is publicly communicated; the principles by which the decision must be taken by the provincial Education Department including ensuring that the necessary resources are there; how this has been communicated to the school and the community and then what the school governing body can do to appeal the detailed specifications of BELA also protect school governing bodies so that they can be sure that decisions are procedurally fair they are reviewable in terms of our courts,” Metcalfe said Home | South Africa Police in Limpopo have arrested five suspects following road spiking incidents on the N1 police say several cases have been reported of motorists driving along the N1 near Bela Bela who have had their vehicles damaged as a result of spikes placed on the road Information received revealed that robbers on the N1 were arrested and detained at Brits and Temba police stations The five suspects face armed robbery charges Three of the five are facing a murder charge They will appear in the Bela Bela Magistrate court on December 9 Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba says the suspects allegedly spiked car tyres on the N1 and robbed motorists between June and July this year The suspects were arrested following tip-offs from motorists #sapsLIM The Limpopo Provincial Commissioner hails breakthrough made by #SAPS in spiking and murder incidents in June and July 2024 along the N1 freeway Information was received that N1 robbers were arrested at SAPS Brits and Temba respectively in a… pic.twitter.com/KIpCjo4dv2 — SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 17, 2024 Professor Michael Le Cordeur is Emeritus Professor in Education at Stellenbosch University chairperson of the Foundation for Empowerment through Afrikaans and an education consultant It is exactly seven years since former minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga announced the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill The signing of the bill was delayed for a long time due to the opposition to two clauses — one focusing on admissions and the other on language Although President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill on 13 September 2024, the focus has moved to the two unsigned clauses because the president decided to wait for a window period of three months to allow Government of National Unity (GNU) partners to collaborate in search of a solution.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The president expressed his confidence that the GNU partners would find each other but he emphasised that should no solution be found in the next three months (until 13 December 2024) he would sign and implement the bill in its entire form This puts great pressure on the GNU partners The Bela Bill makes a number of changes to the South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) that will make the education landscape more streamlined Few people will argue about the above-mentioned changes to the Schools Act. It is in line with the verdict in the Rivonia Primary court case of 2013 the Constitutional Court’s decision came as a firm reminder that education authorities must ensure that the admission of learners is equitable and within the framework of the Constitution procedurally fair and are ultimately taken in the best interests of learners The judge encouraged school communities to work together in good faith in a process of mutual trust and respect South Africans have lost faith in the ANC government The two clauses that have fuelled the debate are clauses 4 and 5 Afrikaans schools especially are upset because the Bela Bill gives provincial heads of education control over the school’s language and admission policy  The government contends that these two clauses led to great controversy in the past because learners even children living within the school’s catchment area this has led to court cases (see the Rivonia case above) According to the government the Bela Bill will ensure equality schools will no longer be able to use language to discriminate against children Those who are opposed to these two clauses argue that school governing bodies will be stripped of their decision-making powers on two policies that are critically important for the future of the school By moving the final authority from the school governing bodies to provincial heads of education it gives the power to the state to change language policy The feeling is that this undermines schools’ right to mother tongue education.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads This has led to strong statements from the country’s two biggest unions Solidarity is of the opinion that the bill will force schools to accept additional languages of tuition and sees this bill as a calculated attack on Afrikaans schools Cosatu has asked that the bill be approved and implemented as a whole What further complicates the matter is that the new DA Minister of Basic Education had already made up her mind when she boycotted the signing of the bill the battle order has been drawn up for a fight that threatens to get out of hand At the heart of the argument is the matter of mother-tongue instruction The Constitution guarantees each child the right to be instructed in his or her mother tongue but with this proviso: if it is reasonably practicable The question is: What is reasonably practicable education experts agree that compulsory Grade R tuition has been long overdue but the government has not indicated where the Grade R teachers will come from Grade R requires specially trained teachers with classrooms specially adapted for this purpose We also have to ask the important question: who will pay them given the prospect that thousands of teachers will be retrenched This brings me to the intended negotiations Now is the time to retain cool heads and think of the bigger picture But all I hear are demands and threats (from both sides) that do not create a conducive climate for fruitful negotiations I have tried to summarise the different viewpoints above and it is clear that both sides have a strong case all parties realise that success will depend on the extent to which both parties are prepared to make concessions For the sake of fairness neither the government nor the governing body should have the final say on a school’s language policy in the case of a dispute I suggest an independent ombud or even that a committee with an independent view should look at cases where parents of schools may declare a dispute the role of the media is of critical importance Irresponsible reporting can sink the conversation even before it starts and it can be decisive for the successful course of the negotiations The Bela Bill is one of the most controversial items of education legislation in South African history The only other case that was as controversial was also linked to Afrikaans I refer to the legislation that forced black learners during apartheid to learn in Afrikaans the language of the government of the time (but not the mother tongue of most black people) and we know how that chapter of our history ended Ironically the shoe is now on the other foot: Afrikaans is in the middle again: this time it is the reason why these two clauses cannot be signed off We now have the opportunity to be the architects of our own future That is why it is in everyone’s interest that all the role players meet speedily and find a solution to the dead end in which we find ourselves South Africa cannot afford a repeat of 1976 Just as we cannot afford for the GNU to fail The Bela Bill is the first real test for the GNU the future looks rosier and we can move closer to a united South Africa If the DA folds and capitulates on this one again and throws Afrikaans schools to the ANC wolves another massacre at the ballot box awaits it like the one that led to the pathetic pastor’s demise in 2019 13 September 2024 sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill into law The President will publicly sign the Bill during a ceremony to be held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria The BELA Bill amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 (SASA) and the Employment of Educators Act The amendments are a response to court judgments that protect and give effect to the Bill of Rights The Signing Ceremony will take place as follows: Members of the media wishing to cover the ceremony should send their details to Hlobisile Nkosi on hlobisile@presidency.gov.za / 079 988 9954 and Makungu Mbetse on makungu@presidency.gov.za / 079 788 3077 by Thursday Members of the media are also requested to present valid ID documents and press cards on arrival at the entrance Spokesperson to the President – media@presidency.gov.za ActionSA is disappointed but unsurprised that despite intensive efforts by civil society the flawed BELA Bill will be signed into law the DA was in an equal partnership in the Grand Coalition this proposed signing of the BELA Bill ought to have been halted President Ramaphosa seems determined to run roughshod over the Minister of Basic Education Just this morning John Steenhuisen threatened to walk away from this marriage of convenience if the Bill is signed The time has come to put their money where their mouth is and protect the interests of millions of children and teachers Failing to do so will indeed confirm that they are prepared to forgo safeguarding what little integrity remains in our education system in service of retaining German SUVs and ministerial perks The Minister’s communicated intention came as a relief in July following the stubborn posture taken by the ANC in the 6th administration who were hell-bent on pushing through the legislation which undoubtedly would only serve to compound the challenges by introducing a series of proposals that lack coherence and fail to align with the actual needs and realities of our education landscape It would seem that these protestations may have been ignored as the signing of this fatally flawed piece of legislation is set to be assented to by the President on Friday ActionSA will consider its options to repudiate the signing of this Bill While the BELA Bill’s stated intentions may be admirable the Bill amounts to a power grab by the Basic Education Minister who will be enabled to set a school’s language policy regardless of what a School Governing Body (SGB) decides and limits parents’ ability to decide whether to home-school their children the Bill proposes the welcomed inclusion of mandatory Grade R for all pupils but without a clear understanding of the curriculum framework This is why ActionSA believes a full costing of mandatory Grade R should be completed before the Bill is assented to by President Ramaphosa The conducive learning environment that home-schooling provides should be recognised and SGBs should retain control to decide the language policy of their respective schools SGBs should also be empowered to determine and allow for religious practices at public schools while respective the rights and beliefs of all South Africans ActionSA also opposes the blanket lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol at schools proposed in the BELA Bill And while we welcome the expansion of penalties imposed on people who disrupt schools we must ensure that the Bill sufficiently protects the right to peaceful protest We are resolute in our commitment to fix South Africa’s faltering education system where 80% of public schools are deemed dysfunctional 8 out of 10 South African school children struggling to read for meaning by the age of 10 But we believe comprehensive and surgical approach is required to address these deep-rooted problems within our system Read ActionSA Submission on the BELA Bill here Emotions ran high in Pretoria at the beginning of November when thousands of members of civil society organisations and political parties marched against the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act – and two clauses in particular: the admissions and language policies The Act in question was passed by a National Assembly vote in May 2024 and was hailed as a critical milestone in the transformation of the education sector despite opposition to the final Bill by the Democratic Alliance ActionSA and the African Christian Democratic Party President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bela Bill into law on 13 September 2024 but said he would delay the implementation of the two clauses for three months for negotiations with parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) Those opposed to clauses 4 and 5 say that they will reduce the authority of school governing bodies and centralise decision-making power, particularly about admissions and language policies. The fear is that schools may be forced to take learners from other language groups, resulting in changes to the language policies of those schools.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads What many critics don’t seem to realise is that the South African Schools Act already has policies in place to deal with admissions at school been very few cases in education law in which the provincial authority has interfered in admissions it usually refers to one learner at one school or other isolated cases clauses 4 and 5 are already contained in the current SA Schools Act with provisions made for the head of the department to comment on language and admissions policy but this is rarely enacted as the education department does not want to intervene except in cases where it is deemed necessary It is important to acknowledge that the Bela Act seeks to address the enormous inequality in the South African school system The new Act seeks to rectify this by providing more children across the country with opportunities for better education In rural areas, there are very few schools. Many of them turn away learners who apply for places based on rigid school policies. Education experts have for years lamented that the legacy of spatial apartheid continues to haunt the education sector – this act attempts to right some of the wrongs of the past It must also be pointed out that the Bela Act has already been subjected to numerous consultation processes Not everyone is unhappy. SECTION27 and other civil society organisations promoting equal access to quality education support the Bela Act. They have stated that it promotes a democratic society based on human rights while extending as far as possible learners’ access to education.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads They argue that the clauses are not about diluting the power of school governing bodies (SGBs) but about using departmental oversight to uproot discrimination in the education system and bring about more inclusivity Transforming our education system from the legacy of apartheid requires continuous efforts to address structural and systemic challenges.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The act addresses exclusionary practices that can be discriminatory while protecting the rights of all It responds to decisions of the Constitutional Court and high courts that sought to redress inequitable access to quality education due to exclusionary language and admissions policies The courts have not always ruled in favour of school SGB policies the Constitutional Court ruled in various instances that the language policy learner pregnancy policy and admissions policy infringed on the constitutional rights of learners to human dignity to freedom from unfair discrimination and to receive a basic education the court ruled that the Gauteng Education Department needed support to make quality education accessible and equitable it was also concluded that the department had the power to admit a learner determine capacity as part of the admission policy One of the reasons is that many privileged schools that receive fees from parents can hire additional SGB-employed teachers to keep class sizes smaller while disadvantaged public schools have high teacher-learner ratios This affects the quality of teaching and learning hence admissions policies in well-resourced schools are designed to keep the ratios down While SGBs represent the school community and reflect the importance of participatory governance in education they do not necessarily have the larger picture of the education needs of the wider province in mind It is the responsibility of provincial education departments to ensure the constitutional right to basic education for all The DA and the FF Plus argue that clauses 4 and 5 “impede on the right to mother-tongue education” Broadening access to education for learners with diverse language backgrounds enhances rather than diminishes opportunities in the best interests of children As part of advancing access to quality education across race and socioeconomic status schools and universities must consider the broader linguistic needs of the communities in which they are situated The Bela Act seeks to reflect the changing demographics of communities. It is in keeping with the ultimate responsibility of the provincial departments of education to ensure that all children are accommodated in our schools. DMadvertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Dr Solange Rosa is the director of the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town. She is also the co-founder of Schools Inclusive Governance Network and former chairperson of Westerford High School SGB (2020-2024), and member of The Grove Primary School SGB (2012-2019). Build More Schools . Period. Tell the unions to hold their members accountable. There have been multiple op-ed pieces run by the DM in support of the BELA bill, like this one. It would be appropriate, editorially, to run a few explaining why it’s exactly what SA doesn’t need. Alternative views on this topic live only in the comments section. You can do it, DM. Agreed. We don’t need one sided I formation Privileged schools levy fees and so can afford extra teachers, but they can only do so by having pupils whose parents can pay those fees. Including a whole lot of non-fee paying ‘under-privileged’ kids at a ‘privileged’ school, will soon turn that school into an under-privileged school. SA is one of the countries that spends the most on education as percentage of GDP, if not the most. Why are we barely cracking the top 50 when it comes to education quality? I think everyone knows the answer…it’s not about education, it’s about ideology…And of course inept gov officials/dept Because ANC legislation always seeks the lowest common denominator. Other articles on this topic seem to suggest that a significant amount of power will be transferred from the SGBs to the minister, which I find concerning. If the two clauses would have no impact and already are in place, I doubt we would see this resistance to it. A little disingenuous this articl After watching the minister and his witchhunt crusade at Pretoria Girls High School I think we can all agree that more power in the hands of the ANC led government must be resisted as hard and as long as possible. Why should the parents not have a say in their children’s education? Exactly, this anc driven BELA act is a ridiculous attempt to destroy Afrikaans schools, because we know how to maintain discipline and order in our schools!!! This is the endgame, Karl. Any minute now the entire Zondo report will be declared inadmissible. Can you believe we are grepsing about school uniforms again? The solution is simple, stop looking at the successful, to take away, but rather learn from them to fix what is broken. This is the usual story, take away from one to never give to another and create a bigger problem…. I think u right by learning from the successful taking it straight from that playbook “June 76” this mess continues. But now we call it success If you buy the idea that the anc will improve something by taking control of the bits of it that they don’t already you must cut back on the koolaid. Look at what Panyaza and his merry crew of racists are doing at Pretoria Girls High to understand the resistance to more govt interference (read Richard Wilkinson’s article on The Daily Friend). The BELA bill will simply see more teachers and money flow to private schools. Whether a school is a basket case, as are the overwhelming majority, or not is down to the ratio of paying to freeloading parents at a school. Once that ratio dips below some critical level its all but guaranteed to go basket casey and cause a stampede of the remaining paying parents. It won’t be long before the ANC go after the private schools. The ANC don’t like success stories. DM blocks any point of view that differs with theirs. No new schools built in suburban areas that I know of in 30 years. Are we as parents surprised that school are full to capacity? No new bus routes either so how do kids get to school? This act is to make it look like something is being done when nothing IS being done and all kids suffer!! Dr Solange Rosa suffers from the same mind virus as Dr. Nicholas Crisp. These are people who know only too well that ANC policy will always lead us down a road of failure and destruction. Yet they will write and talk like ANC policies are successful, and leading the country in the right direction. As it stands parents paying school fees (at our school) are expected to help pay the massive R6million outstanding fees for children who received fee exemptions of which the givernment/Department of education only pay back +/- 3% not even annually. Dr Rosa ignores the fact that in govt big is bad. Centralising power leads to inefficiency. The education dept budget is huge, but even doubling it wouldn’t make much difference. The systemic and behavioral issues in the dept are too big. BELA will drag many more down than any few it may lift up. Shame on you DM. Why not report on facts. only 1 school built during Panyasi lesufi’s tenure opposed to the many hundreds promised. As a matter of fact the nett number of school devreased due to closures not being matched by new schools opening. what is needed is schools and class rooms. All pupils need to be educated in more than one language. In Wales, lessons are givenin Welsh in the morning and English in the afternoon. or Luxembourg, pupils are taught in French and in German. If there is not one language understood by all, confusion and mismanagement will inevitably result And matric exam papers for non-language subjects are only set in English or Afrikaans. It’s as if we were still living in the 1980s. The article contradicts itself. You can’t argue that the act will have no effect because the department already has those powers but doesn’t want to intervene, and at the same time argue that the act will bring about a big improvement in education by giving the department new powers. If the number of learners increase with population growth, it is logical that schools must be built at a comparable rate; and more teachers be made available. “Musical chairs” is certainly not an option. How is the increase in learners with special needs accomodated in “quality” education? “While SGBs represent the school community … they do not necessarily have the larger picture of the education needs of the wider province in mind.” No shirt, Sherlock! Why the hell should they? Do you even know what ‘community’ means? The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly urges President Cyril Ramaphosa to reconsider his intention to sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill into law this morning The DA remains committed to defending the constitutional right to mother-tongue education We will continue to strenuously oppose any attempt by Education Department officials to over-ride school governing bodies’ right to formulate language and admissions policies These clauses in the Bill only serve to undermine well-functioning schools and will do nothing to improve the quality of the vast majority of under-performing schools The Department’s priority should be to focus on fixing the many dysfunctional schools in the system rather than penalising high-performing schools President Ramaphosa’s unilateral decision to press ahead with the signing of this Bill negates the principles of consensus-seeking and good faith upon which the GNU was intended to function It is a dangerous step that bodes ill for the future of the GNU and will inevitably drive South Africans further apart The President’s refusal to engage in meaningful compromise with his GNU partners reflects a squandered opportunity to unite the nation he has chosen division — while doing nothing to address the educational crisis in South Africa. This approach erodes public confidence in the future of the GNU and the country and undermines the President’s credibility President Ramaphosa’s actions will come at a cost that may ultimately endanger the future of the GNU The DA will continue to fight this Bill not only in the courts but also in its execution and implementation This Bill is a threat to the goal of building a diverse We call on President Ramaphosa to reverse course before it is too late