Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Open letter to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
For Attention:
Hon. Solomon Tsenoli
Acting Speaker of the National Assembly | email: [email protected]
Hon. Amos Masondo
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces | email: [email protected]
Hon. Sylvia Luca
Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces | email: [email protected]
Hon. Mamagase Nchabeleng
Chairperson, Select Committee Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture, National Council of Provinces | email: [email protected]
RE: Stop the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill
The situation is critical. Our country’s youth, once full of hope and ambition, are now facing grave challenges. They are losing their lives to drugs, disease, and hunger on the streets. Their aspirations of becoming educators, legal professionals, medical doctors, or nurses have been crushed.
The BELA bill, along with the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Toolkit have been introduced. These measures have caused concern among those who feel they are not in line with their values.
Many are questioning the decisions of our leaders, who have shifted educational focus to topics of sex and gender, influenced by foreign ideologies. This has led to fears of moral decline and the exploitation of our children.
There is a growing concern that our children are being prepared for a life of exploitation rather than being equipped with the education they need for success. The education system is being criticized for failing to protect our children and for exposing them to potentially harmful content.
People are calling for action against the BELA bill and the educational content being taught. They are urging leaders to consider the long-term impact of these decisions on our youth and the future of the country. Our hope is for someone to advocate for the protection of our children’s interests as the bill moves closer to being passed.
Our plea is for those in power to think about the consequences of their actions, not just for the current generation, but for the future ones as well. The decisions made today will affect the lives of many, including their own children, and could influence the outcome of upcoming elections. The question is whether anyone will stand against the BELA bill to protect the next generation.
Who will be counted as today’s heroes, not prepared to sell their children to foreign and anti-ubuntu values?
Contact:
Mr Ntokozo Nhlabathi, [email protected], Chairperson (CYPSA)
Dr Elfrieda Fleischmann, [email protected], Secretary (CYPSA)
Umphakathi Okhathazekile (the Concerned Young People of South Africa) is a non-profit organisation which was started by concerned young people of South Africa in 2009 and then registered as an NPO in 2010. In 2018, CYPSA was registered as a PBO (Public Benefit Organization).
The moral decay in our communities caused such great distress to us that we could not keep silent any longer. We have united in taking a stand against the devastation caused by drugs, immorality, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, crime, prostitution, pornography, and abuse, amongst other evils, in all their forms.
Over the last decade, CYPSA has visited over 7,000 schools across South Africa in a community effort to warn youngsters about the harmful impacts of drug abuse and other social ills on their education and future careers. Feedback from school principals has been overwhelmingly positive with numerous requests for follow up visits and increased support nationwide having been received.
