South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, which grants the government greater authority over language policies in schools, aiming to combat racial discrimination in education. The bill has sparked significant backlash, particularly from the Democratic Alliance (DA), which views it as an infringement on the rights of Afrikaans-speaking communities and plans to challenge it in court. While Ramaphosa asserts that the legislation is a step towards improving education equity, it has raised concerns about excessive governmental control over school admissions and language instruction. The bill also mandates one year of pre-primary education and bans corporal punishment, reflecting broader educational reforms. A three-month consultation period has been allowed for the most controversial provisions, highlighting ongoing tensions within the coalition government. Critics argue that the bill undermines the constitutional right to education in one's mother tongue and may threaten the stability of the national unity government.