South African Correspondent
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to sign the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law, despite opposition from some members of the government of national unity (GNU).
The bill has sparked fierce debate, with some critics arguing it exposes children to pornographic material and others concerned about its impact on language policies and school admissions.
GNU partners are divided on the bill, with DA leader John Steenhuisen urging Ramaphosa not to sign it, saying it would violate the spirit of the GNU.
Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks has also expressed concerns, saying the bill “borders on pornography” and teaches children “how to put on a condom on a pe**s”.
However, Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks has welcomed the bill, saying it contains “many common sense and long-overdue progressive provisions” that will protect learners’ rights.
In an effort to avert a coalition row, Ramaphosa has delayed the implementation of the most controversial part of the bill, announcing a three-month consultation period.
“We want to find ways for different views to be accommodated,” he said.
The bill aims to transform the education system and address continued inequalities, but its reforms have been met with resistance, particularly from the Afrikaans-speaking community.
AfriForum has described the bill as an attack on Afrikaans education and has vowed to oppose it.
As Ramaphosa signs the bill into law, he faces opposition from within his own coalition.
“If the president continues to ride roughshod over these objections, he is endangering the future of the GNU and destroying the good faith on which it was based,” Steenhuisen warned.
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