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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 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.
  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.

As an engaged citizen I have:

[LIST OCCASIONS WHEN YOU HAVE MADE INPUTS, such as:
  • Made a submission to DBE in 2017.
  • Made a written submission to PCBE of the National Assembly.
  • Attended PCBE of the National Assembly public hearings (mention where you attended the hearing)
  • Made a submission at a public hearing (mention where you attended the hearing and whether you submitted orally or in writing)
  • Written submissions to NCOP.
  • Attended public National Council of Provinces public hearings (mention where you attended the hearing and whether you submitted orally or in writing)]
I made the following inputs, which I believe was ignored:

[Mention the main points in your submission that you believe were ignored. You can also list anything that happened at public hearings that was procedurally incorrect.]
In addition, I want to bring the following to your attention:

[Write 2-3 sentences on one or both of the following points:
  • During the public participation period of the National Assembly, the majority of the public rejected the BELA Bill.
  • 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 to government and parents, and information on the impact of the curriculum restrictions.
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.