BELA deadline passes as Swartruggens battle deepens

Platinum Weekly newspaper | Swartruggens – The deadline for public comment on the latest draft regulations supporting the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act passed on 5 September 2026. Schools, governing bodies, teachers and parents have now had their say – and the Department of Basic Education must consider the submissions before finalising the regulations.

The proposals cover school governing body elections, additional payments to state-employed teachers, teacher-development structures and the National Education Information System. The BELA Act itself is already in force, but these supporting regulations have not yet been finalised.

While the country waits for the outcome, a dispute at Swartruggens Gekombineerde Skool has placed the practical consequences of education governance firmly in the North West spotlight. The dispute followed the placement of 78 English-medium learners at the Afrikaans-medium school. The school governing body maintained that this was done without proper consultation and without sufficient certainty about classrooms, staff, sanitation, safety and other resources. In April, the North West High Court granted an interim order dealing with the school’s admission and language policies and instructed the provincial education department to provide reports and support relating to the additional learners.

FEDSAS, which is assisting the governing body, later approached the court over the Department’s alleged failure to comply with the order. On 7 September 2026, the court gave the Department five calendar days to submit outstanding reports and documents. North West head of Education Lengane Bogatsu was also ordered to appear in his personal capacity on 29 October 2026 to explain the alleged non-compliance and why he should not be held in contempt of court. No final finding of contempt has yet been made.

AfriForum argues that the case illustrates its concerns about increasing state control over schools, while FEDSAS says the school was not opposed to accommodating additional English-medium learners, provided that proper consultation took place and the necessary resources were supplied.

The voices have now been submitted and the deadline has passed. Schools and communities can only remain watchful – and pray that the final decisions will protect learners, respect school communities and ensure that education authorities exercise their powers responsibly.