Pretoria: Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has confirmed that two officials from the Department of Basic Education have been suspended with immediate effect following a breach that saw matric exam papers leaked to learners in Pretoria. Gwarube revealed the development during a media briefing, stating that the leak was detected through the system’s stringent marking processes.
According to South African Government News Agency, this year, over 900,000 candidates sat for the 2025 exams across 7,000 centres, supported by thousands of invigilators and more than 51,000 markers and moderators. The National Senior Certificate examination is one of the largest and most complex national undertakings in the country. The Minister emphasized that the detection of the breach was due to the diligence of the markers who were able to identify inconsistencies in the exam scripts.
The breach was detected when marking began on December 1 at 183 centres nationwide. Early in the process, markers in Gauteng noticed an anom
aly in six English Home Language Paper 2 scripts. The Gauteng Department of Education officially alerted the national Department of Basic Education to an unusual similarity between the answers provided by a candidate and the marking guideline on December 2, 2025. A preliminary investigation confirmed these suspicions.
Further investigation revealed that 26 learners had gained access to question papers and marking guidelines before the examinations. The material was traced back to the Department of Basic Education’s national office. Only three subjects were accessed prior to the examination: English Home Language Papers 1, 2, and 3; Mathematics Papers 1 and 2; and Physical Sciences Papers 1 and 2. The leak was confined to seven schools in one Pretoria area and was distributed through a USB device.
Gwarube announced the establishment of a National Investigative Task Team to ensure full accountability. The team will include an independent chairperson, Umalusi, Universities South Africa, Teacher Unions, SAQA, D
BE officials, and a private forensic investigator. Their mandate is to confirm the source and spread of the breach, identify all implicated learners, safeguard the credibility of the 2025 NSC, and recommend measures to prevent future breaches.
Umalusi has been formally notified and will receive both a preliminary and final report before results approval. The Minister assured that no results have been finalized and no certification processes have begun. A preliminary report will be provided to the National Examination Irregularities Committee on December 29, 2025, and the final report will be submitted on December 31, 2025.
Gwarube emphasized the department’s zero tolerance for cheating, highlighting the multiple layers of protection in the exam system. The Minister assured that the department will leave no stone unturned and that criminal investigations are underway, with the South African Police Service notified of the possession of stolen state property.
The Minister urged calm among parents and school c
ommunities in the affected Pretoria area, stressing that the department was moving decisively while ensuring fairness. Implicated learners will be afforded due process and treated in accordance with established prescripts. Gwarube reiterated the department’s commitment to supporting innocent learners who worked hard and played no part in the breach.