Happening TODAY: Huge march protesting BELA Bill

The Solidarity Movement is leading a march against the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill today, 05 November 2024. Markedly, organisers are expecting it to be the biggest march of the Afrikaans community in decades.

Thousands of protesters expected to join

Thousands of people are expected to partake in the march. It will take place today starting from the Voortrekker Monument just south of Pretoria to Freedom Park. Over 7 000 people have registered to participate. The aim of the march is to object to the BELA Bill being put into effect.

Dr Dirk Hermann, head of the Solidarity Movement, said that they are expecting many more people to attend as not all the participants would have registered.

“It could possibly be the biggest march of the Afrikaans community since 1994.”
Dr Dirk Hermann

The Solidarity Movement stipulated that one of the main aims of the BELA Bill is to take away schools’ rights to choose their language and entrance requirements.

Participants will meet at the Voortrekker Monument at 08:00 with the programme starting at 09:00. The walk to Freedom Park will commence at 10:00.

Memorandum of protest

Participants will walk 2,4 km from the Voortrekker Monument to Freedom Park to hand over a memorandum of protest against the BELA Bill to parties of the government.

The aim of the memorandum of protest is to emphasise the importance of quality education in South Africa, and also the power of mother tongue instruction to ensure a high quality of education. It also emphasises the importance of governing bodies in schools.

A total of 36 different Afrikaans organisations support today’s march including AfriForum, the Afrikaanse Taalraad, Akademia, Sol-Tech, etc.

Gayton McKenzie attending BELA Bill protest

John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the Freedom Front Plus, will be attending the events.

Gayton McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, will also be attending the events.

In addition, various representatives of the presidency and other government representatives will be attending today’s march.

Members of 41 organisations gathered yesterday to sign the memorandum. The signatures represent approximately 2 million South-Africans’ opposition to the BELA Bill and in particular clauses 4 and 5 which entail giving the government the authority to dictate language and entry policies to schools.