DA confident it will reach compromise with GNU partners on BELA Act

PRETORIA - The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is confident it will reach a "compromise" with Government of National Unity (GNU) partners over the BELA Act.

The party’s national leadership joined a number of civil society groups in Pretoria on Tuesday, marching against the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act.

The BELA Bill was signed into law in September, however, President Cyril Ramaphosa delayed the implementation of two clauses that speak to school language and admission policies. 

READ: 'BELA Act is targeting Afrikaans schools specifically' - AfriForum

Speaking on the sidelines of the march, DA leader John Steenhuisen said that the party had rejected the BELA Bill within the GNU's dispute resolution panel.

"The president has shown leadership by delaying the implementation because he understands clearly there’s consultation that need to take place and I'm very confident we will be able to find each other because that's what these next few weeks is going to be about - it's about compromise on all sides to be able to end up with a situation that is amendable to everyone."

Patriotic Alliance leader, Gayton McKenzie said he was at the march as a representative of President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

McKenzie says he was also confident the GNU would find a solution to the BELA Act.

"The president, Cyril Ramaphosa, asked us - myself, John Steenhuisen and Pieter Groenewald [Freedom Front Plus leader] - which part is it that you don’t like? Nobody pressurised him, nobody put a gun to his head. We said we don’t like (clauses) four and five. He took it out. Just the fact he took it out, for me, shows the GNU is working and shows we have a hearing president."