As President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the BELA Bill into law yesterday, the education landscape of South Africa has shifted.

This new legislation centralises control over school admissions and language policies, raising a fundamental question: Whose voice should matter more in education — the national government or the local communities?

The BELA Bill transfers the authority to determine language policies from school governing bodies (SGBs) to provincial heads of departments.

This change aims to address systemic inequalities and ensure more inclusive education. However, it has sparked a heated debate.

For many, language in schools is more than just a medium of instruction; it’s a matter of cultural identity. AfriForum, along with other civil rights groups, has been vocal in their opposition to this aspect of the BELA Bill.

They argue that centralising control over language policies is an attempt to erase linguistic and cultural communities, particularly Afrikaans-speaking ones. Alana Bailey, head of cultural affairs at AfriForum, describes this move as nothing short of “cultural ethnic cleansing” by the government. Parties such as DA, FF+ and ActionSA also oppose the bill in its current form.

On the other side of the debate, the EFF and the GOOD party hail the bill as a victory for equality. They argue that language policies have long been used as a gatekeeping tool to exclude African learners from so-called “former Model C” schools. Leigh-Ann Mathys, national spokesperson for the EFF, said that SGBs have exploited their control over language policies to isolate African languages and, by extension, African children.

Supporters of the BELA Bill argue that it is a necessary intervention to prevent these exclusionary practices. By giving provincial heads the power to determine language policies, the government aims to ensure that schools truly reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of South Africa. It’s about levelling the playing field for learners who have long been shut out of certain schools due to language barriers.

But while the bill may open doors for many, it also raises important questions about balancing equality with cultural preservation. Can we create a system where all learners are included without erasing the linguistic heritage of individual communities?

The debate around the BELA Bill highlights a deeper tension in South African society: the struggle to reconcile equality with autonomy. The bill seeks to address systemic inequalities by breaking down barriers for African learners but also strips communities of their power to make decisions that reflect their unique identities.

As provincial heads begin implementing their new powers, will they succeed in fostering inclusivity without erasing the unique linguistic heritage of individual communities? The real test lies ahead.

Perhaps the challenge now is not just to ensure every child has access to education, but to find a way to do so without silencing the voices that make each community unique. In this debate, it’s not only about which voice is louder — it’s about which voices will still be heard.