Gauteng Education moves to allay fears after matric exam breach

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has reassured matric candidates that the integrity of the 2025 examinations remains solid, despite the recent leak scandal.

Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, confirmed that several matric exam papers were leaked, affecting seven schools in Tshwane.

The compromised papers included English, Maths and Physics, giving some learners early access not only to the questions but also to the memos.

It is reported that the anomaly was identified in six English Home Language Paper 2 scripts, where the candidate’s responses showed an unusually close resemblance to the marking guideline.

In one instance, the responses were almost a direct reproduction of the official marking guide.

Two officials from the National Department of Basic Education have since been suspended, one of them a parent of a Grade 12 learner.

Gwarube has appointed a National Investigative Task Team to determine the full extent of the leak, adding that the release of the final results will continue as scheduled.

“Umalusi, the Quality Assurance Council, has been notified and briefed on the breach. Now we want to assure the country that 1. No results have been finalised. 2. No certification processes have begun and 3. A preliminary report will be provided to the National Examination Irregularities Committee on the 29th of December and the final report will be submitted to both myself as the Minister and Umalusi on the 31st of December this year,” she said.

Gwarube added that the department will be working straight through New Year’s Eve to process the findings and ensure they are ready to announce the final matric results on 12 January 2026.

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has welcomed the precautionary suspension of two officials implicated in the matric exam leak scandal.

“We view these allegations in a very serious light, particularly as they point to a breach of trust by individuals entrusted with a critical national function.”

Committee chairperson, Joy Maimela, has called for regular progress briefings as investigations continue, warning that the involvement of departmental staff could have damaging consequences for learners who were preparing for their final exams.

Maimela has urged the department to strengthen security protocols for the National Senior Certificate to protect the credibility of the qualification.

Meanwhile, teachers union, Naptosa has strongly criticised the conduct of the suspended officials — particularly the one who is a parent of a matric learner.

Spokesperson Basil Manuel says the official’s actions were irresponsible.

“You can’t do something illegal and expect your children to do this. Now, look what you’ve done. You’ve lost yourself your job. And in addition, you have changed the life chances of your child.”

Manuel, however, says the department has to take some blame.

“The exam section, I will tell you, is a very, very well-run machinery. But it would seem as though the trust we have in employees, which is not a bad thing, went further than trust should go,” he said. “When it comes to these critical, critical things, you certainly have to have more checks and balances in place, that this person could access the computer, put something on a memory stick and take it out, says there was no security there.”

He warned that such breaches risk undermining the credibility and value of the matric certificate.

MEDIA STATEMENT | GDE commends its exam markers for swiftly detecting an anomaly that uncovered a matric exam breach which was found to have reportedly emanated from the DBE during the marking of the 2025 NSC exams.

The breach was isolated, quickly contained, and confirmed not… pic.twitter.com/xCkfJWnrQR

— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) December 11, 2025