Jabulile Mbatha1 December 2024 | 6:51

Only one party in GNU signed agreement to exclude 2 clauses in BELA Act - Mashatile

Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that besides Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, who’s from the Democratic Alliance, other parties in the GNU were not included in the pact.

Only one party in GNU signed agreement to exclude 2 clauses in BELA Act - Mashatile

FILE: Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Picture: GCIS

JOHANNESBURG - Deputy President Paul Mashatile has clarified that only one party in the GNU signed the agreement excluding two clauses of the BELA Act.

The agreement, signed by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, trade union Solidarity, and the National Economic Development and Labour Council, proposes that the contentious clauses 4 and 5, which address language and admission policies at public schools, should not be implemented.

READ: Everything you need to know about the BELA Act

Mashatile said that besides Gwarube, who’s from the Democratic Alliance (DA), other parties in the GNU were not included in the pact.

"According to the statement, only one party from GNU would have been involved in a parallel process to the one sanctioned by the GNU parties and signatories of the statement of intent. Based on the statement, the Minister of Education and an official from the government would have been complicit in this meeting," said acting spokesperson for the deputy president Keith Khoza.