South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill into law, despite opposition from key political parties in the country’s coalition government. The implementation of two significant clauses, which have been a source of contention, will be postponed for three months to allow for further consultations.
The signing ceremony took place in Pretoria on Friday, but it was notably absent of Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education. Gwarube is one of six cabinet members from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest political party in South Africa.
The DA has voiced concerns that the bill grants too much authority to the education department, particularly regarding language policies and school admissions criteria.
