Boma Achenimie 
On Sunday, the President of South African, Cyril Ramaphosa signed the disputed Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill into law, following a compromise with coalition partners that had initially opposed the legislation.
The bill, which sparked heated debate earlier this year, was the first significant test for the government of national unity formed after the May elections, where the ruling African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority for the first time since 1994.
At the heart of the controversy are clauses granting the government greater authority to set language and admission policies for schools.
Critics argue this could threaten mother-tongue education, particularly for South Africa’s Afrikaans-speaking minority.
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The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the coalition, initially vowed to challenge the bill in court, fearing it would penalise Afrikaans-language schools, which make up only about five percent of South Africa’s schools.
