DA leader John Steenhuisen. Picture: Itumeleng English, Independent Newspapers
THE DEMOCRATIC Alliance (DA) says its legal team will continue with preparations to fight the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill.
On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill into law, adding that the implementation will take place at a later date, pending discussions with other political parties who were against certain clauses.
"In the spirit of co-operation and meaningful engagement, I have decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5 of the bill by three months. 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,” Ramaphosa said.
DA party leader John Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa's approach is contrary to the spirit of the Statement of Intent that formed the foundation of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
"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 three-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, including in the courts," Steenhuisen said.
While there are many in favour of the Bela Bill, there are also those who believe that in its current form, it is unconstitutional.
"We believe that this bill does not address the structural deficiencies that continue to diminish the quality of education in South Africa. Instead, it proposes relatively cosmetic and poorly costed changes and additions to a system that frankly requires a near-complete overhaul to ensure access to quality education," said ActionSA's Lerato Ngobeni.
Ngobeni said that while the party acknowledged Ramaphosa's consultation plans, ActionSA believes this is merely an appeasement mechanism, rather than a genuine attempt to address the numerous concerns raised.