By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has moved to dispel suggestions that disagreements over the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, signal a possible split in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
In his speech to the Press Club in Cape Town on Thursday, Steenhuisen said he had noted different headlines about the possible collapse of the GNU.
Earlier this week, The Presidency said the BELA Bill amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 (SASA) and the Employment of Educators Act, 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,” the Presidency said.
However, concerns have been raised about the lack of detailed information provided to the public, with critics claiming there were “ambiguous clauses” in the BELA Bill that could lead to the infringement on parental rights.
Steenhuisen warned that if President Cyril Ramaphosa goes ahead and signs the BELA Bill into law tomorrow, the DA will have to consider all options on the way forward.
The DA, other political parties and some from civil society do not want Ramaphosa to sign the BELA Bill, as it is, into law.
“…among other issues, we believe the Bill compromises the rights of children to mother-tongue education. That is why I met the President on BELA yesterday.
He said in a multi-party government leaders need to respect the constraints and imperatives of their partners.
“Any leader that tries to ride roughshod over their partners will pay a price, because a time will come when the shoe is on the other foot, and they will need the understanding of those same partners in turn,” Steenhuisen said.
He said it was the DA’s priority to grow the economy and create jobs, saying if the GNU could not do that, there was no point being part of it.
“Indeed, if the African National Congress (ANC) insists on taking South Africa down the path to economic ruin, it would be the DA’s patriotic duty to leave the government and use our position in Parliament to stop the slide into catastrophe,” he said.
He pointed out that with 22% of the vote, the DA could not always get its own way inside the government.
He explained that the DA held a balance of power in the GNU, highlighting that without the party’s support in Parliament, the government does not have a majority.
“Our first instinct inside the GNU will always be to find common ground in the interest of South Africa. We have already proved this. We are working together with the ANC on every initiative that will take South Africa forward, and there is a long list of overlapping policies we have agreed on,” he highlighted.
In another development, the agriculture minister revealed that he told the chief of staff in his office Roman Cabanac to resign.
The controversial podcaster was appointed to Steenhuisen’s office two weeks ago, sparking a public outcry over his extreme right-wing views and frequent criticism of the government and Ramaphosa.
He has also faced backlash from many South Africans for racist and homophobic comments.
Earlier this week, Cabanac issued a statement admitting that his online behaviour had been “simplistic and controversial.”
“I understand and respect the concerns which have been raised, especially considering my new non-partisan role. I remain committed to building a better South Africa for us all. In the past, I built my brand as a critic of the previous government,” he said.
“I pushed boundaries to gain attention on social media and sometimes made divisive, idle and poorly considered statements in the heat of online journalism.