In South Africa, political tensions over language teaching

In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa finally signed the education law, passed before last May’s elections, this Friday, despite opposition from parties in the coalition government. To avoid imploding this government of national unity, the head of state tried to find a compromise.

With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès

These are two articles of the law that have sparked a conflict between the ANC, the ruling party, and the Democratic Alliance. They concern, among other things, a certain loss of autonomy of public schools to choose their language of instruction, since the provincial authorities will now have their say.

Also readIn South Africa, the story of Patrice Lumumba staged in the theatre

The country’s second largest political party fears that this will lead to a decline in Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch, spoken at the time by the colonists.

The president thus positions himself as the master of negotiation, a role he also played during the transition at the end of apartheid.

Also readSouth Africa still mired in mass unemployment

- RFI