'Common ground can be found,' says Gwarube amid criticism for snubbing signing of Bela Bill

Minister of basic Education Siviwe Gwarube believes common ground can be found as her party, the DA, engages in a legal battle against the signing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill by President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

Gwarube did not attend the signing of the bill on Friday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The legislation amends the South African Schools Act (Sasa) and the Employment of Educators Act (EEA).

The proposed revisions of language and admission policies at schools have been met with opposition from the ANC's government of national unity (GNU) partners, including the DA which Gwarube is a member of. 

“I am positive that common ground can be found. The president was aware of my absence. A signing ceremony is just that. It’s ceremonial. What matters is the act that comes from that,” said Gwarube in an interview with eNCA amid criticism.

South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke was not happy over Gwarube missing the ceremony.

“As we welcome the signing of the bill into law, we doubt its implementation judging by the absence of the minister of basic education, Siviwe Gwarube, at the signing ceremony at the Union Buildings. Her absence is unacceptable. It vindicates our fears that the DA will run a separate parliament and a separate cabinet,” Maluleke said.

“The ball is in the minister’s court. She must decide and make the president’s work easier by resigning, as she seems to be operating with two bosses: Helen Zille and President Cyril Ramaphosa. We are going to follow closely the consultation processes to ensure that they do not reverse the gains of 30 years of democracy by retaining the privileges that were enjoyed by the minority while excluding the majority in this country.”

Maluleke said the union was also not happy with the deferral of the implementation of two clauses of the bill, clauses 4 and 5, which they argue are crucial for transforming the education system to be more inclusive and democratic.

Ramaphosa signed the bill into law but delayed the implementation of the two clauses, by three months to allow for further parliamentary discussions after the DA requested additional discussions on contentious clauses in parliament before implementation.

Joining the debate former University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor, Mamokgethi Phakeng, said despite different political views on the bill, Gwarube needed to implement the legislation.

“Gwarube's absence at the signing ceremony of the Bela Bill does not change the fact that she will have to defend the act in court should someone contest this act. Whether she is there or not does not change the fact that she’ll be responsible for implementing and defending the act in court,” Phakeng said.

“Note she of course said she's committed to implementing it if it is signed into law, but here's the thing minister Gwarube: your job is not only to implement. It is also to defend this law. Come to peace with this matter and understand [your] role.”

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