The announcement that President Cyril Ramaphosa will sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill into law on Friday will provide the first big test of the national coalition government. In particular, it forces the DA to make a difficult decision about whether to stay in the coalition. It also poses a risk for the ANC.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min On Wednesday, the Presidency announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa would sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law at a public ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday.

The reaction from the DA, which has opposed the Bill, was immediate.

Its leader, John Steenhuisen, said he was seeking an urgent meeting with the President to discuss this.

The party's spokesperson, Willie Aucamp, told Radio 702's Midday Report that the President was "putting a knife to the throat of the GNU" through this action.

For the DA, the risk is clear. Its constituency opposes parts of the Bela Bill and it will suffer a significant cost if it is seen as allowing it to be passed. Also, because this concerns education, it will provoke an intense reaction from those who oppose the changes.

The fact that Ramaphosa has decided to sign the Bill into law publicly is politically significant.

The last signing ceremony Ramaphosa held in public was when he signed the NHI Bill into law. This was just before the elections and was aimed at winning voters for the ANC.

Getting back to Aucamp,...