The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has expressed support for signing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill into law, stating that it has passed through all necessary channels.

This follows a call by the newly appointed Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, urging the President not to sign the Bill. The BELA Bill aims to strengthen school governance by addressing problematic sections in the current legislation.

Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi says, “The consultation took over two years and I think every province was consulted. There were consultations with all stakeholders. There were public participation processes. We believe all the processes were undertaken to ensure that most South Africans gave input to the bill. So what came out of the Bill we believe was a result of the inputs from all stakeholders and citizens of South Africa.”

Cembi emphasized that it would be improper to call on the President not to sign the Bill after the extensive consultation process.

PODCAST | Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi’s full interview on SAfm’s Sunrise: