The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has condemned and expressed concern regarding what it termed as the deliberate attempts of stalling the full implementation of the BELA Act.
This emerged when it received a briefing from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and provincial departments regarding the implementation of the Act and the progress of the enactment of clauses 4 and 5, which were signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year.
Committee Chairperson Joy Maimela also flagged the delay of finalising the Act’s regulations by Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
“We have not been furnished with any guidelines or regulations.
“During our engagements with the provincial departments of education, it became apparent that the guidelines differ from the South African Schools Act (SASA). Some provincial departments of education are also confused by whether they received guidelines or regulations.
“This is the confusion we were concerned about from the start. If the provincial departments of education are confused, what about the general public and other stakeholders? We cannot allow this”, said Maimela.
The chairperson adds that the committee has approached Gwarube for a comprehensive report concerning the process that was followed to draft the guidelines.
“The committee is of the view that the time spent for draft guidelines could have been utilized rather for drafting regulations.
“We need the detail of what led to the guidelines as we must discuss if we need to write to the Office of the President and explain the confusion created in the sector,” Maimela reiterated.
The committee also seeks to ascertain that Gwarube did not give into outside influence of those who were contesting sections of the Act, by delaying the drafting of regulations.
