WATCH | Zille slams Bela Act clauses as threat to Afrikaans

Helen Zille

Cape Town – DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has strongly opposed clauses 4 and 5 of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act, arguing they are unnecessary and threaten Afrikaans-medium education in South Africa.

Signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 13 September, the clauses are temporarily suspended for three months to allow consultations with opposing parties.

Clause 4 grants the Department of Basic Education greater control over school admissions, while clause 5 requires school governing bodies to submit language policies to provincial heads of department for approval.

Speaking during an interview on Morning Live on Monday, Zille contended that existing laws sufficiently address governance and language policy, accusing the new provisions of being part of a campaign against Afrikaans.

“We’re objecting to clauses 4 and 5 because they are not necessary,” she said.

“So we have seen that at schools that have had parallel-medium streams, the school has very quickly turned to become only English.

“Same thing at universities, Stellenbosch used to be an Afrikaans-speaking university in a majority Afrikaans speaking province with a majority of Afrikaans speakers who are not white.

Zille also warned that giving provincial heads final authority over language policies could undermine mother-tongue education and lead to the erosion of Afrikaans-medium schools, citing past transitions to English at universities.

She emphasised the constitutional right to mother-tongue education and the importance of preserving vulnerable languages like Afrikaans.

While committed to conflict resolution within the Government of National Unity (GNU), she said the DA is prepared to take legal action if the Bela Act’s clauses are implemented.

Ramaphosa is expected to announce the outcome of the consultations soon.

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