Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube’s readiness to implement the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill keeps her out of the red, according to President Ramaphosa.
Speaking during an engagement with media at the Union Buildings on Friday, 13 September, Ramaphosa admitted that the contention regarding the bill has been a sore point for the DA, the party which Gwarube belongs to.
But this week Gwarube told a department workshop that she will implement the bill if it is signed into law.
“I am not concerned about this. I think we need to know that the issue of the Bela Bill has been a challenge even from the party that she comes from. I think if one puts that into context, one will understand that one has to look for the positive and say, the minister has been unequivocal in clearly saying, once the president has signed the bill, I am going to implement it. That to me is the bottom line,” the president reiterated.
“If the minister ever says she will not implement it, she will be fired — plain and simple. Non-attendance is a matter of concern.”
Gwarube took the hard line by not attending the ceremony earlier in the day, saying that it should be sent back to Parliament to be amended as it does not represent millions of learners across the country in its current form.
She then explained the importance of reaching a compromise, especially in the context of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Legal action expected
The DA will also be forging ahead with legal action against the implementation of the bill. In a statement issued by the party, following the signing ceremony, the DA explained that there is no agreement between the GNU partners, which they firmly reject.
Ramaphosa signed the Bela Bill into law on Friday, but announced that he would be suspending the implementation of two specific clauses in the bill for a three-month consultation period.
Read more: Ramaphosa and the Bela Bill — the power of political surprise, but at what cost?
The bill seeks, among other things, to make Grade R the new compulsory school starting age; to provide penalties for parents and guardians who do not ensure that their children are in school; and to confirm that corporal punishment is no longer allowed in schools, with penalties for those found guilty of such offences, Daily Maverick reported.
Daily Maverick’s Victoria O’Regan writes that Clause 4 of the bill provides for a provincial head of education to override a school’s language policy – that authority currently lies with school governing bodies. Clause 5 provides for the provincial education department heads to control admission policies.
GNU collapse would be ‘ghastly’
Ramaphosa reiterated the importance of the GNU succeeding, and further said that the collective had no choice but to forge ahead.
“It will be quite ghastly for South Africa because the establishment of the GNU is what has lifted the confidence and the spirits of many in our country. Many of those one speaks to say that they feel that there is a direction to move forward.
“Prior to the elections, people were concerned, investors were holding back and our economic growth trajectory seems to have been on a stall. But now the GNU has been able to open many opportunities,” said the president.
The GNU will be forming a dispute resolution committee, as stipulated in the formation’s statement of intent. The committee will consist of all 10 parties who are signatories to the agreement, and will seek to create a platform to discuss key issues over time. DM