Dr Mamokgethi Phakeng Supports Bela Bill, SA Weighs In

• Former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Dr Mamokgethi Phakeng shared her opinion on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill
• President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to sign the Bela bill into law on 13 September, which will amend specific education laws
• Phakeng supported the Bill, and her stance sparked an online debate about the Bill and its impact on the education sector

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, service delivery protests and heritage in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG—Former Vice-Chancellor and famed mathematician Dr Mamokgethi Phakeng expressed her support for the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, which Cyril Ramaphosa will sign into law.

Mamokgethi Phakeng stans BELA

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Phakeng posted on her X account @FabAcademic. The former University of Cape Town chancellor supports the Bill, which Ramaphosa is expected to sign into law on 13 September despite opposition from the Democratic Alliance, which said it would threaten the Government of National Unity.

"The Bela Bill must be supported! It's actually disheartening that even 30 years later, our democracy still mirrors apartheid-era structures. We now have language, spatial planning and money as exclusionary tools instead of race, but the ultimate result is racial exclusion," she tweeted.

View the tweet here:

Netizens debate her stance

Netizens talked about the Bill and what they thought of her take.

Car of the Day said:

"Autonomy, if abused, chucks away accountability, hence these tantrums."

Sithale said:

"We're signing it this Friday."

Call-a-spade-a-spade said:

"I agree. We can't be held ransom by 4 million people against 50 million."

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Leo Bombayage said:

"This bill is a big step towards eradicating the quintile funding system. At last schools will all be equal and all be on the same level with facilities or no facilities."

Mrs MaNkosinathi said:

"Learning shouldn't only favour a certain racial group. I did not understand the bill until my husband sat me down."

Ramaphosa signs NHI into law

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Ranmaphosa signed the contentious National Health Insurance Bill into law.

The Bill became law on 15 May despite opposition from the private sector, the public, and political parties.

Source: Briefly News