2 hours ago
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Gwarube boycotted the signing of the bill into law by President Cyrl Ramaphosa just more than a week ago, while her party president John Steenhuisen said the signing threatened the government of national unity (GNU). Ramaphosa delayed implementation of some clauses by three months amid disagreements. The DA, a GNU partner, instructed its lawyers to prepare for court action on the adoption of the Bela Bill.
Lesufi warned that Gwarube may want to stop the implementation.
“We want to call on the [ANC] youth league, Sasco, Cosas, Young Communist League, the [ANC] women’s league — comrades, now that the portfolio of education is no longer in our hands, we need to put a strong alternative structure to pressure this department. We need to put that education alliance to ensure that the enemy must not take advantage of the power we have given them. The pressure must be there.”
The act:
- reaffirms the ban on corporal punishment and introduces fines and imprisonment for those who administer it;
- proposes grade R be compulsory;
- criminalises parental negligence regarding their children's school attendance, proposing jail time as a consequence;
- proposes culture and religious beliefs be accommodated in codes of conduct; and
- proposes school governing bodies submit their language policies for approval which reflect the linguistic needs of the broader community.
On social media Lesufi has remained unmoved by the DA’s opposition to the bill:
