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BELA in the Balance

Beat the BELA Bill

The Office of the President recently made a statement that the BELA Bill will not be signed before a new administration is in place. Depending on which parties are in the new government, the BELA Billl could be referred back to parliament. For example, the DA has stated that the BELA Bill is a non-negotiable for them.

The BELA Bill could now be in the balance and a large number of members of the public writing to the President could get the Bill sent back to parliament for reconsideration.

Write to the President

The Pestalozzi Trust sent a highly detailed and legally dense letter to the President on the procedural flaws in the BELA Bill. It also touched on the constitutional objections.

You can read a summary of the letter HERE.

You can read the full letter HERE.

This letter means the President will have to consult with legal advisors and apply his mind to the concerns raised before he can sign the Bill.

A flood of letters from members of the public, that shows that the BELA Bill is not supported and that highlights flaws in the process and the Bill from YOUR perspective could possibly see the BELA Bill being sent back to parliament and the process being re-run in a parliament in which no single party has power.

So let’s take up our swords (in the form of our pens) once again, and let’s give the BELA Bill the death-knell!

Please use the form below to support the Pestalozzi Trust’s letter to the President.
  1. The black lettering will be added automatically to your letter (no need to repeat that in your inputs).
  2. Red lettering gives guidance on what to write in the input fields (do not copy and paste).
  3. Once you click “Submit”, your letter will be delivered to the Presidency. A copy will also be bcc’d to homeschoolfreedom1996@gmail.com and to the email address provided in the form.

Letter to the President

Dear President Ramaphosa,

I am writing to ask you to not sign the BELA Bill into law and to rather refer it back to Parliament to allow them to engage in a thorough process of public engagement.

I want to bring the following to your attention:

[Write 2-3 sentences on one or more of the following points:
  1. During the public participation period of the National Assembly, the majority of the public rejected the BELA Bill.
  2. The SEIA that the DBE did on the BELA Bill was inadequate. It did not follow the guidelines set down by Parliament. Crucial information on homeschooling was left out, such as:
    • – information on the economic impact of clause 35 on government and parents
    • – information on the impact of the curriculum restrictions in clause 35.
  3. The DBE does not have any research on home education. This was confirmed both by the Minister herself, and by Mr James Ndlebe of the DBE. The legislation on clause 35 does not reflect the reality on the ground, and the Minister cannot write regulations on something she doesn’t understand.

Add any other personal comments here.]
The process of public engagement has been flawed from inception when the DBE first published the Bill in 2017.

Inputs by the public on the BELA Bill have been ignored, misunderstood, and misrepresented.

I endorse the Pestalozzi Trust’s letter sent to you on 17 May 2024 and ask you to accede to the Trust’s requests.

Kind Regards,
Consent(Required)
I consent to the collection, storing, processing, and use by the Pestalozzi Trust of any personal and special personal information, including the personal and special personal information of children, provided by myself in the above form, for the purpose set out in this privacy statement (See https://bit.ly/3wyzm6v). I consent to the processing of any personal and special personal information, including the personal and special personal information of children, provided by myself in the above form, by a third party, and a third party outside the Republic of South Africa (RSA), for the purposes as set out in the above privacy statement. I consent to the sharing of the above personal and special personal information, including the personal and special personal information of children, with the Parliament of RSA for the purpose of making this submission.