Image Source: The Citizen
South Africa – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have condemned the recent protests against the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, led by the Democratic Alliance (DA), AfriForum, Freedom Front Plus, and other organisations, calling them an “act of treason.”
The EFF accused these groups of upholding apartheid-era beliefs and obstructing efforts to build a fair and inclusive education system in South Africa.
According to the EFF, “We are not surprised that these white supremacist right-wing organisations are marching against this progressive legal instrument that seeks to redress the imbalances of the past because they are still caught up in the apartheid mentality of separate development.”
The EFF argued that the opposing organisations want School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to retain exclusive power over language and admission policies. “They will then use their numerical majority to exclude non-Afrikaans speaking learners from participating in learning.”
Yesterday’s Anti-BELA Demonstrations in Pretoria
Thousands gathered at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria to protest the BELA Bill, which President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law in September. However, upon signing, two critical clauses related to school admissions and language policies were delayed, and further consultation with opposing GNU members was required.
DA leader John Steenhuisen voiced his concerns about these clauses at the rally, stating, “These clauses give the state too much control over who gets an education at any particular school and in what language.”
“Clause 4 and 5 of the BELA Act give too much power to provincial governments and strip parents of democratic rights. This poses a significant risk to the cultural and linguistic diversity we value.”
The EFF, however, believes that delaying these clauses has emboldened opposition groups and undermines efforts toward inclusivity. They view the protests as an attempt to pressure the government into abandoning its responsibility to end discriminatory practices against African learners.
“This is not a protest but an act of treason … These groups are defending an unjust status quo that resists progress towards a fair education system.”
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Is the Afrikaans Speaking Community Under Threat from the BELA Bill?
According to reports, AfriForum expressed concerns that the bill threatens the survival of Afrikaans culture and unfairly targets their communities. CEO of Afriforum, Kallie Kriel, argued on social media that the legislation poses an “act of aggression” against Afrikaans-speaking schools and children.
“We are angry because our children are targeted by a law that undermines Afrikaans schools and threatens our cultural survival.”
The DA echoed these concerns, emphasising that mother tongue protection in education is essential and arguing that efforts should focus on raising educational standards rather than regulating language and admission policies.
In response, the EFF contended that language policies are being weaponised to sustain exclusive practices. They maintained that the BELA Bill is not anti-Afrikaans but is crucial to preventing language-based exclusion and promoting equal educational opportunities.
“Afrikaans will remain, but it cannot be used as a tool for exclusion and oppression … It cannot be that we are held at ransom by a group of people who are driven by their deep-seated racial hatred and white supremacist ideals that seek to undermine the dignity black people in this country.”
The EFF has called for the BELA Act’s full implementation, including the clauses currently under further review, across the entire country.
