ActionSA threatens legal action over signing of ‘Bela Bill’ into law by Ramaphosa

ActionSA has threatened to take legal action if President Cyril Ramaphosa signs the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law on Friday.

The party's parliamentary caucus chief whip Lerato Ngobeni echoed the concerns of the DA, which said the signing of the bill would threaten the government of national unity (GNU).

“If, indeed, the DA was in an equal partnership in the grand coalition, this proposed signing of the bill ought to have been halted. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa seems determined to run roughshod over the minister of basic education, who is opposed to the bill,” Ngobeni said.

“Just this morning [Wednesday] 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’re prepared to forgo safeguarding what little integrity remains in our education system in service of retaining German SUVs and ministerial perks.”

The bill amends sections of the 1996 South African Schools Act and the 1998 Employment of Educators Act to address developments in the education landscape since the enactment of the original legislation.

Ngobeni expressed deep concern, arguing the bill was not in the best interest of pupils and teachers. “In service to [pupils], , ActionSA will consider its options to repudiate the signing of this bill,” she said.

“While the [its] 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.

“Furthermore, the bill proposes the welcomed inclusion of mandatory Grade R for all pupils, but without a clear understanding of the curriculum framework, affordability raises concerns.”

ActionSA also opposed the bill's law on alcohol in schools. “We are resolute in our commitment to fix South Africa’s faltering education system, where 80% of public schools are deemed dysfunctional, eight out of 10 school children struggle to read for meaning by the age of 10, and 40% of Grade 1 pupils drop out. But we believe a comprehensive and surgical approach is required to address these deep-rooted problems within our system.”

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