Opposition to BELA Act borders on racism - Basic Education committee's Maimela

CAPE TOWN - Basic Education portfolio committee chairperson, Joy Maimela, said that opposition to the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act was based on racism.

She was responding to lobby groups AfriForum and Solidarity’s letter of demand to Minister Siviwe Gwarube and President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on them to halt the implementation of the act.

The two lobby groups that support Afrikaans mother tongue instruction have served both the president and the minister with a letter of demand, saying that the promulgation of the law was irrational.

They’ve also threatened to take the matter to court should there be no response in ten days.

But Maimela said their opposition was misguided.

She was addressing Parliament’s social cluster briefing on Thursday, on issues affecting the basic education portfolio.

"Simply put, we believe that both those organisations, their utterances and their objections to the two clauses actually border along racism."

Maimela said the committee would now monitor the full implementation of the BELA Act very closely.

"We reiterate our support for the act and call on parties to adhere to the law."

Maimela said they would also scrutinise the regulations, norms and standards being developed by the department.