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This weekend’s public participation process for the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill in the Northern Cape was marred by what was clearly an ANC attempt to influence the community’s inputs.

Instead of the allocated 3 minutes, the Northern Cape Basic Education MEC, Zolile Monakali, was given 7 minutes to deliver a speech touting the benefits of the Bill. This despite the fact that the acting Chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education, Nombuyiselo Gladys Adoons, was alerted that his 3 minutes had expired.

Yet, the public weren’t fooled by this blatant attempt to sway their views in favour of the BELA Bill, which will ultimately disempower schools and their governing bodies (SGBs) from determining admission and language policies and endanger learners’ constitutional rights to mother tongue education.

The majority of Northern Cape participants rejected the BELA Bill and highlighted the same concerns the DA has, including the lack of prior engagement with the home schooling sector, and the centralisation of power within the Department of Education.

The DA encourages all parents, educators, SGB and community members, as well as education stakeholders to raise their concerns and objections at the public hearings in the Eastern Cape this coming weekend (please see below for more information).

Our children’s futures need to be prioritised, and the BELA Bill threatens it.

Issued by Marina van Zyl MP - DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Basic Education