HIBAPRESS-RABAT
Today, it is the turn of Education to be “attacked” by the South African president, which has not entirely pleased the unity government, which sees in it a touch of schools teaching the Afrikaans language, derived from 17th century Dutch, which would harm mother tongue education.
In any case, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has promulgated an education law that fractures the national unity government, while suspending for three months the entry into force of two articles that certain parties oppose in an attempt to find common ground.
In a televised signing ceremony, Ramaphosa said: “The signing into law of this law is an important step towards overcoming long-standing challenges in our education system” and ensuring that “all children have access to a good education.”
“The law aims to ensure uniformity and fairness in educational standards in all schools,” he explained. The education minister, a member of the DA, was absent from the ceremony.
“In a spirit of cooperation (…) I have decided to delay by three months the entry into force of articles 4 and 5”, relating to the disputed points, “this will give the parties time to discuss”, declared Ramaphosa.
John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the main partner of Ramaphosa’s ANC in the unity government, had called on the head of state not to promulgate the law.
He did not rule out the possibility that his party – the main opposition party – would leave the government, which would deprive the president of a parliamentary majority.
The DA and other smaller parties are opposed to two articles that now require government approval of the admission rules and the language of instruction of each establishment, hitherto decided by its board of directors (which includes parents and teachers).
They believe this risks undermining mother tongue education. The Afrikaner minority (descendants of the European settlers who ruled the country until the end of apartheid), one of the DA’s electoral bases, is particularly concerned about schools that teach in their language, Afrikaans, derived from 17th-century Dutch.
But if there is no agreement by the end of this period, the two articles will then come into force, he added.
Despite the delay, Steenhuisen announced in a statement that the DA was preparing to challenge the law in court immediately.
The president’s “threat” to promulgate the contested articles if there is no agreement is “contrary to the spirit” of the agreement governing the national unity government, which provides for “sufficient consensus on controversial issues”, Steenhuisen denounces.
The announced promulgation of this law – voted before the legislative elections, which saw Ramaphosa’s ANC lose its absolute majority – opened the first serious crisis within the government of national unity after less than three months of existence.
