The voice of opposition to BELA Bill in Parliament

Dear Editor

The DA welcomes the mobilization of civil society against the draconian Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, which seeks to enforce the ANC government’s skewed war on Afrikaans without considering the far-reaching implications on quality teaching in other indigenous languages.

The DA vows to be the Parliamentary voice opposing the BELA Bill.

The DA has extensively communicated on the problematic aspects of the BELA Bill and the ‘Lesufi clauses’ that will remove school governing bodies’ (SGBs) power to decide language and admissions policies that serves the best interests of their communities. As such, the DA will fight the BELA Bill with everything in our power and continue to oppose it in Parliament.

19 civil society organizations have sent the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, a letter highlighting all the problematic clauses of the BELA Bill. The Gauteng MEC of Education, Panyaza Lesufi, and his ANC comrades’ irrational hatred of Afrikaans and all speakers of the language will not only disadvantage them, but also mother tongue education of all indigenous languages and quality education as a whole.

The BELA Bill is another example of the ANC government putting ideology above the well-being of the people they’re meant to serve. And as national government, they’re meant to serve all the citizens of South Africa, irrespective of the language they speak.

The DA urges the public to submit their concerns in writing to Llewellyn Brown, the secretary of the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education via email to belabill02@parliament.gov.za or online at https://forms.gle/MoC6AdbdQyYPk3Y49 or via WhatsApp: +27 60 550 9848 by no later than 15 June 2022 at 16:00.

Regards

Baxolile ‘Bax’ Nodada MP
DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education