Western Cape Education disputes DA’s stance on implementing the Bela Act

The GOOD Party suggests that, rather than having its members march alongside Afrikaans interest groups, the Democratic Alliance (DA) should invite the leaders of these organizations to Tulbagh in the Western Cape to see how the DA is implementing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act.

This is after DA federal chairperson Helen Zille said clauses 4 and 5 of the Bela Act, which refer to language and admission, are a revenge project against Afrikaans.

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bela Bill into law on 13 September and said government would not implement clauses 4 and 5 for three months pending consultation with organisations and political parties that oppose the clauses, including lobby group AfriForum and the DA.

WESTERN CAPE EDUCATION “GOES AGAINST” DA BY IMPLEMENTING BELA ACT

GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron said Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier had confirmed that Tulbagh High School will be a dual-medium school from 2025 to accommodate English-speaking learners from a local township, as the Bela Act provides.

The Western Cape government is run by the Democratic Alliance.

Herron said that in late November, the chairperson of the school governing body called an urgent parents’ meeting to discuss Western Cape EducEducation’s plans to transfer isiXhosa-speaking learners currently registered at Lingcinga Zethu Secondary School and Lingomzo Primary School to Tulbagh High School in 2025.

Further, Herron said he submitted parliamentary questions to Maynier, who confirmed the plan to address overcrowding at Lingcinga Zethu.

“He said Tulbagh High School will start a Grade 8 English Language of Teaching and Learning stream at the school in 2025.

“Last week, my office called the school twice to ask about the language of teaching and learning at the school, and were told emphatically that the school only teaches in Afrikaans,” he said.

EFF THREATENS MASS PROTEST

Meanwhile, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has threatened a mass protest action if Ramaphosa dos not implement the Bela Act.

Addressing delegates on the last day of the party’s National People’s Assembly at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, on Sunday, 15 December, Malema said if Ramaphosa does not implement the Bela Act they will take to the streets.

“We must mobilise everybody in society to demand that the Bela Act must be signed. We’re not going to be threatened by AfriForum, we’re not going to be threatened by anyone who was wearing orange and saying we must not implement the Bela Act.

“The Bela Act is going to be implemented. No one is going to be excluded in a school owned by government on the basis of language,” he said.