KEY POINTS
- Tensions rise in South Africa’s coalition over the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) bill.
- The DA warns the bill could violate coalition agreements, raising concerns over the unity government’s stability.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to sign the bill into law despite opposition.
South Africa’s coalition government is facing its first significant internal conflict after the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the unity government, opposed an education bill supported by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC). The DA has expressed concerns that passing the bill would violate coalition agreements, raising tensions in the fragile alliance formed after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in May.
The contested legislation, known as the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) bill, has sparked debate over issues related to racial integration in schools, language policies, and government oversight of education.
Coalition dispute over education bill
The DA’s leader, John Steenhuisen, warned that the bill’s passage could jeopardize the stability of the government of national unity (GNU). “The DA regards this issue in the most serious light, and I will convey to the President the destructive implications it holds for the future of the GNU,” Steenhuisen stated, though he did not specify the exact consequences of the disagreement.
In response, President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, urged calm, stating that disputes over legislation are expected and manageable. “There shouldn’t be any concern that each time there’s a dispute, the entire governance framework of this country will be under threat,” Magwenya said. He further added, “The president is not concerned about the GNU collapsing.”
However, the DA and ANC are expected to meet to resolve the dispute, which centers on changes to school language and admission policies that have divided the coalition partners.
Debate on language policies and racial integration
The bill aims to give the South African government more control over language and admission policies in schools. This has raised concerns among some, particularly within the Afrikaans-speaking community, who fear it could threaten the survival of Afrikaans-language schools.
According to Reuters, the ANC argues that certain children are still excluded from schools based on language, which is often used as a proxy for race. The new bill, they claim, would address this issue by promoting greater racial integration in schools.
On the other hand, the DA defends the right of school governing bodies to determine their own language policies, emphasizing the importance of mother-tongue education. Interest groups like AfriForum have voiced strong opposition to the bill, warning that it could undermine Afrikaans education.
