President to sign controversial Bela Bill on Friday
The bill, which has been opposed by the likes of AfriForum, will be signed at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The Presidency has announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa will sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law on Friday.
The Bela Bill aims to strengthen governance within South Africa’s education sector. “The Bela Bill amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 to account for developments in the education landscape since the enactment of the original legislation,” states the Presidency.
President Ramaphosa will sign the bill at 10:30 during a public ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
“The amendments are a response to court judgments that protect and give effect to the Bill of Rights,” the Presidency adds.
Controversy
AfriForum held a picket at the Union Buildings in April as it wanted the National Council of Provinces to revise the bill, and allow school governing bodies (SGB) to determine and authorise language policies in their designated schools.
SA News reported the Bela Bill was adopted by the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in September.
“Committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said this brings the bill, which has been more than 20 years in the making, in line with continuing the transformation agenda of the basic education sector,” the article states.
It adds that, in terms of language policy, the amendment states the governing body must submit the language policy of a public school and any amendment thereof to the head of department for approval.
“The language policy must also take into consideration the language needs of the broader community.”
Another article published by SA News in October quotes former Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga who said the bill does not want to ‘take away the powers of the SGBs’.
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