Cape Town - Despite an overwhelmingly negative public response towards it, and against the advice of its own legal counsel, the DA-controlled provincial legislature is set to adopt the School Education Amendment Bill allowing for the sale and consumption of alcohol on school premises.
On Wednesday, at a heated meeting, the legislature standing committee on education was briefed on the bill. Proceedings were at times overshadowed by arguments among MPLs, some of whom were accused of intimidating committee chairperson Basil Kivedo.
DA members voted in favour of the bill but a final vote on its confirmation will take place today, when it is expected that the legislation will be given the green light.
Enactment of the bill will mean schools may permit the sale and consumption of alcohol on school premises at school activities under strict conditions.
Schools wishing to hold events where alcohol would be served or sold would need to apply to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) for authorisation, and the head of the department would consider such applications. School governing bodies would also have a say in the matter.
During the meeting, ANC MPLs Theo Olivier and Cameron Dugmore were at loggerheads with acting committee chairperson Lorraine Botha.
Olivier said despite a public participation process on the bill, where the majority of participants dismissed clauses authorising the sale of alcohol at schools, the legislative process was going ahead.
“I just want to know, how could you not amend the section on alcohol. You came here with certain amended sections, but you cannot amend the alcohol sections. How many of the comments from the public were against this? The majority of people were against this bill and its provisions on alcohol. How then can you possibly go ahead with this piece of legislation? On what basis do you go ahead?” Olivier said.
Advocate Lynn Coleridge-Zils, WCED director for policy co-ordination, said an appeal mechanism had been introduced in the bill, and that 83 schools supported the bill.
“In the beginning we had about two lines on this issue. Now we have a whole section of about two pages on this. We brought in the application process, as well as an appeals mechanism if the HOD does not approve the application. But what needs to be stressed is that schools have the freedom of choice,” she said.
Dugmore asked for details of the 83 schools Coleridge-Zils claimed were in support of the bill.
Coleridge-Zils said she did not have the information.
DA chief whip Mark Wiley said the notion that there was a blanket rejection of the bill was incorrect. “There was support for this bill. We had schools supporting this bill some old boys’ clubs or associations can’t have events with alcohol because of laws,” he said.
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