School alcohol sales bid panned
DEPUTY Minister of Basic Education Enver Surty has entered the fray over proposed amendments to a provincial education act, which could make it possible for principals to give the go-ahead for alcohol to be sold to adults at school functions.
In August, Education MEC Debbie Schäfer proposed changes to the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act of 1997, including a proposal to allow for the principal or governing body to approve the sale or use of alcohol on school premises.
She said she had received complaints from schools that wished to hold fundraisers where alcohol would be sold.
At a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Surty said: “As educators, if we basically condone, allow or promote this particular reality, what kind of signal are we sending?
“You know the Western Cape, you know the issues of drugs, alcoholism, gangsterism are huge. And if it means us intervening, we will do so because we are party to a programme where we’re trying to reduce alcohol consumption.”
He said there was a twoyear process of amending the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act.
“The legal adviser of the Western Cape Education Department was part of that. We are quite surprised that after that process, and at the last Council of Education Ministers meeting we discussed the bill, we now read about this proposal.”
In a statement released yesterday, ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said the proposal was not only misguided, but dangerous.
“The point is to push alcohol access away from communal spaces. Bringing it into our classrooms is a betrayal of all the effort the government has been putting in trying to lower the consumption of alcohol.
“The National Liquor Act states clearly that liquor premises should be located at least 500m from schools, places of worship or recreation, rehabilitation or treatment centres, residential areas and public institutions.”
Schäfer said she was surprised by Surty’s comments. “As a lawyer, he knows the Department of Basic Education can’t intervene in provincial matters unless they follow the formal process laid out in the constitution.”
She said Surty was also aware that basic education was a concurrent competence provided for in the constitution, which specifically allowed for provinces to make legislation contrary to national legislation.