Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

AfriForum states that budget pressures highlight the undesirability of BELA Bill

After the conclusion of the last public consultation sessions on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (the so-called BELA Bill) last week, AfriForum once again appealed to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to reject the bill, as it is undesirable and impracticable.

According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, the budget cuts that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is currently undertaking, and which the education authorities in the other provinces of the country will also be forced to follow, prove this statement.

“In a presentation to the Western Cape legislature in March this year, the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) indicated that an additional budget of around R17.7-billion will be required to implement the provisions of the bill. While the country’s education budget is being cut to such an extent that emergency measures such as the termination of teachers’ contracts are being taken, it is inconceivable that this additional burden should be added to the budget,” explains Bailey.

She mentions that a shrinking education budget also obliges public schools to pay even more attention to their relationship with their learners’ parents and communities. “Currently, parents and communities support their schools because they are an active part of the management and operations of schools by means of the democratically elected governing bodies. However, if their final say over, among other issues, schools’ admission and language policies henceforth rest in the hands of provincial heads of Education as the bill proposes, this precious relationship could dissolve. This will increase the financial burden on schools. Evidently, the bill does not seek to nurture this wholesome relationship but solely focuses on expanding the powers of officials. All of this will happen at the expense of the future of our youth,” she adds.

Bailey reiterates that if the NCOP passes the bill without significant amendments and refers it to the President for final approval, AfriForum is ready to oppose it with legal action. Anyone who wants to support the legal process is invited to give a mandate to AfriForum to do so at www.stopbela.co.za.