An advocacy group and civil society organisations are calling for the extension of the deadline for public comments on a bill that in part proposes allowing the sale and consumption of alcohol on school premises during fundraising events.
The Basic Education Laws Bill, also referred to as the Bela Bill, which is before parliament’s portfolio committee on basic education, calls for the amendment of the SA Schools Act of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act of 1998.
But a section of the bill that proposes allowing alcohol selling and consumption on school premises by adult guests and not pupils during fundraising activities has become a contentious issue. Part of the bill also proposes that booze be allowed in school halls that are hired for church or weddings and for functions held by the staff.
While the bill states that no pupils will be allowed to buy, sell or drink alcohol and there will be no drinking in the presence of pupils, advocacy group the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa) said it poses multiple risks to pupils at schools.
'We live in a society where we have laws around alcohol. Do people comply with them? No. There is a huge problem around alcohol in our country. We saw it under Covid-19 and before. There is drunken driving, interpersonal violence that happens because of alcohol, liquor outlets that stay open beyond their operating hours.
“There are all kinds of ways the law is not being observed. There are existing problems in schools around alcohol where teachers come to school drunk or they drink at school,” said Saapa executive director Maurice Smithers.
“There are teachers and other staff who may themselves already have a problem with alcohol. If they cannot be trusted to put the best interests of learners first when the use of liquor on school premises is frowned upon [and unlawful], how can they be trusted to do so if liquor use becomes a legitimate part of school activities.’’
He said the position of Saapa and its 58 civil society alliance partners is that alcohol has no place in schools. “We call on learners, parents, teachers and other school staff, as well as community members generally, to voice their opposition, through whatever means possible, to the liquor clauses in the bill that will legitimise the use of alcohol on school premises and during school activities.”
Portfolio committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said the call for written and oral submissions opened on May 15 and the deadline is June 15.
Mbinqo-Gigaba said: “After the 15th, we will look at the submissions and decide whether we will extend the date for submissions or start planning for the public hearings. We will have public hearings in all nine provinces.”
Committee member Siphosethu Ngcobo from the IFP also rejected the parts of the proposed legislation.
''It's madness. A school is there for teaching and learning purposes. Once you bring alcohol closer to these purposes, the results will not be right. The government will not be able to control this,’’ said Ngcobo.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.