Cape Town – Newly elected South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) President Magope Maphila has pledged to advocate for the full implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill during the union’s 10th national congress in Boksburg.
Maphila and his leadership team retained their positions, with Maphila emphasising the urgency of rolling out the Bela act despite anticipated budget cuts.
“It is prudent to declare the Bela act no longer a bill but an act. It is prudent to declare that Bela act is close to our hearts. We must at all times be ready to fight for its implementation. No one should stand on its way, not even madam Helen Zille,. Not baas Oosthuizen, not even [Siviwe] Gwarube. In fact, no devil from hell will stand in the way of the implementation of the Bela act,” The Citizen quoted Maphila as saying.
He criticised austerity measures that threaten education funding and vowed to combat corruption that affects the poorest communities.
Maphila labelled any delays in implementing the Bela act as a “declaration of war” against the union and challenged opposition figures to hinder its progress.
The Bela Bill was recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa but faced criticism and reservations from the DA and FF Plus, particularly regarding clauses related to school admissions and language policies.
According to eNCA, during the past four days, the congress addressed key challenges in the education sector, particularly focusing on budget cuts that jeopardise teacher employment.
SADTU is launching a campaign to fight budget cuts in the education sector. Provincial basic education departments might be forced to cut thousands of jobs. SADTU has spent the past three days contemplating solutions to the crisis. #Newzroom405‘s @ZinikokaMhlaba speaks to SADTU… pic.twitter.com/C4UQUN1eIn
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 28, 2024
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
