The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is calling on the Human Rights Commission to launch an investigation into the Bela march last week at which some protesters brandished apartheid flags .
On November 5, over 10 000 protesters marched from the Voortrekker Monument to Freedom Park against the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act 32 of 2024 (Bela Act).
The march was coordinated by organisations such as the Democratic Alliance (DA), AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement, Solidarity and the Solidarity School Support Centre (SCS).
The Bela Act provides school governing bodies (SGBs) with the power to draft their school admission and language policies.
Since its inception, it has been met with widespread criticism from the aforementioned groups, which culminated in last week’s march.
During the march, visuals of the Apartheid flag were circulated on social media, leading to criticism of the marchers.
National Cosatu spokesperson Zanele Sabela says that while the union recognises the democratic right of protesting, it strongly condemns the individuals who took the march as an opportunity to promote this symbol of the racist regime.
“The federation calls on the Human Rights Commission to launch an investigation and hold the responsible individuals accountable, particularly as the DA, AfriForum and Solidariteit have been adamant that their protest against the Bela [Act] is not about race,” Sabela said.
“That said, Cosatu wonders why these organisations have found it necessary to create a storm in a teacup about clauses 4 and 5 of the Act. As it stands, the Bela provides school governing bodies the power to draft their school’s admissions and language policies,” Sabela.
Sabela doubled down on Afrikaners’ assertions of their culture being under attack, suggesting that the bill seeks to accommodate the majority.
“We have witnessed far too many children chased out of school because they wore their hair in dreadlocks or had hair extensions put in. The Bela affirms all mother-tongue languages and affords room for inclusivity and diversity. Implementation of the Bela in its entirety will not spell the end of Afrikaans. In fact, affording space for dual-medium instruction where necessary will ensure that 80% of South African society is not discriminated against,” he said.
Other provisions of the Bela Act include:
– Establishing Grade R as a required part of schooling for all learners.
– Strengthening provisions requiring learners to attend school and holding parents accountable for their children’s attendance.
– Recognition of South African Sign Language as a language of instruction and learning.
– Strengthening rules prohibiting drugs, alcohol and weapons from schools and empowering schools to search for and confiscate such items as needed.
– Banning corporal punishment and initiation practices from schools.
– Centralised procurement of key materials, e.g. textbooks.
– Making it easier for single parents to register their children at school when their ex-partners are absent.
– Measures to ensure financial accountability and prohibit officials from doing business with schools.
AfriForum has since dismissed Cosatu’s insinuations as malicious and false.
In a written statement, the organisation alleges that no apartheid-era flags were brandished on any of their stages and the one individual who brought one was swiftly escorted out.
According to Solidarity CEO, Dr Dirk Hermann, Cosatu’s allegations are opportunistic. “The person who was turned away for displaying the Vierkleur (the flag of the old Transvaal Republic) was one in more than 10 000 people, and the situation was dealt with immediately and efficiently. The purpose of the protest march was to show opposition to the specific sections of the Bela. It was a positive march directed at finding a solution to a major issue,” he said.
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