OPINION | 'Ramaphosa held by horns over BELA Bill'

 

(picture://TheCitizen//) 

Lurnay Tshabalala-Mavuso | Political Reporter | Politics | September 12, 2024 

Ramaphosa finds himself being held by horns, as parties who are part of the GNU(Government of National Unity) and other opposition parties, are against the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill that is to be signed publicly by him tomorrow , 13 September 2024 at the Union Buildings. The signing ceremony was announced on the 11th of September by the office of the Presidency on their media site. From then this has had the likes of Steenhuisen and many others unsettled and unhappy as they are in a fight to have the bill not signed by the President. 

DA's John Steenhuisen has expressed to the media that he is not happy and not in support too of this signing of the Bill. This causes a hiccup to the coalition as parties who form the GNU are questioning the intention of this signing. By many including Steenhuisen, this is viewed as Ramaphosa's way of showing them that he and the ANC are still very much in power and that he is the one that holds the steering wheel in this coalition train. Now question is, should this bill be signed as the President intends to, will the GNU survive this hiccup and what will this make of the petitions that are already in motion to have this bill not to be signed?, because clearly Ramaphosa sees no validity in the reasons given to him that he should not go ahead with the signing of this bill. 

Meanwhile the likes of Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town and other education activists are in support of this bill, because they believe it is what the South African Education sector needs. Phakeng expressed how she feels about the signing of the BELA bill on her timeline on X : 

The BELA bill is set to strengthen governance within South Africa's Education Sector and amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 (SASA) and the Employment of Educators Act of 1998 (EEA), to account for developments in the education landscape since the enactment of the original legislation. The amendments are a response to court judgments that protect and give effect to the Bill of Rights. This is as according to the statement released by the office of the Presidency. 

BUT IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN WHY NOT SUPPORT THE BILL? 

This is a battle of power and we all know that in politics it is all about power. Each party that is part of the GNU wants to have power in what goes on in the administration of the country, but this sudden signing of the bill looks and feels like a slap on the face especially since other members of the GNU coalition are feeling otherwise about the bill. I mean the above outlines by the Presidency on what the BELA bill aims to do, sounds very valid and good enough to encourage people who say they want to take South Africa to greater heights and improve the livelihoods of the citizens of the country, but is their disinterest a sign that the GNU was a mistake? Also is there any "Unity" among the members of GNU? 

I absolutely do not think so, because so much has been shared through the media that has shown and given ideas that the GNU is nothing but a battlefield for power hungry politicians who want reign and power over South Africa and who knows, even power over the state's finances because we all know that once we vote for leadership that promises us heaven on earth and we give them the votes, they get in power and forget about us and start looting funds from the country placing the lives and future of South Africans at risk and not even caring about that. These parties offer trustworthy and promising manifestos that we never see being put to reality even when at the brink of power and then voters get stuck in confusion and sadness at having to succumb to power service delivery and a bad leadership which keeps on failing its people. 

Personally, I believe that GNU coalition members who are against this bill really do not want this bill because it does not favour them or it does not have amendments that suit what they desire for leadership over the country. I mean we all know education is a very important tool in not just our country but the world at large and we should be able to tread very carefully and with fragility when it comes to it. When will we have a decolonial education system ? One that will seek to liberate the mind of an African child, and one that will lead an African child to more greener and lighter pastures. If this is what this bill is about or what it seeks to do, then why not sign it? Also why is the coalition called a Government of National Unity if there isn't any Unity among the members of GNU? How are we as citizens supposed to unite and look up to the coalition government if they themselves cannot unite, but instead play a game of thrones on media platforms? 

Like I've said before, South Africa is in deep deep shambles. TSAKANE INFORMER