President authorises full implementation of BELA Act

FOLLOWING a three-month delay into the full implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a presidential proclamation bringing the BELA Act into operation from Friday.

At the time the president assented to the BELA Bill in September, a number of parties to the government of national unity and other key role players expressed their wish to further engage each other on sections of the bill that deal with issues of admission and language.

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In a statement on Friday, Ramaphosa said he received a report from the government of national unity clearing house mechanism committee, giving a thumbs up to the full implementation of the Act.

“This is the structure which brings together the parties to the government of national unity and other parties represented in parliament to deal with contentious issues and thereafter report to the leaders of the political parties represented in the GNU”.

“In their final report, the parties agreed that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act should not be sent back to parliament to make changes to the sections that were in contention,” said Ramaphosa.

He added that the GNU clearing house participants agreed that the Act be fully implemented.
“This view was endorsed by the leaders of the parties to the GNU in a meeting I held with them today.”

“I accordingly advised them that I would proceed to sign a Presidential Proclamation to bring the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act into operation from today,” Ramaphosa said.

President Ramaphosa further instructed the Minister of Basic Education to see to the full implementation of the BELA Act.

“I have also instructed the Minister to do what is necessary, as is customary with any law, to ensure that the timeframe of implementation particularly with regard to the preparedness of the system for universal Grade R access and the consequential regulations setting out the norms and standards are prepared,” said Ramaphosa.

According to the presidency, the BELA Act enacts measures that strengthen the ability of schools to give effect to important rights enshrined in the Constitution.

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