SACP welcomes Department of Basic Education's decision to no longer publish learners’ results in media

11 January 2022

The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomes the decision by the Department of Basic Education to no longer have National Senior Certificate examination results of learners published in the media. For quite a while, more than a decade to be specific, the SACP has been campaigning against the matric learners' personal examination records published in the media, believing that the practice violated their rights and resulted in negative social consequences. In particular, the SACP was deeply concerned that the practice violated Section 14 of the constitution of the Republic, which provides that everyone has the right to privacy, including the right to protection against unlawful collection, retention, dissemination, and use of personal information.

The learners experienced exposure to all that. Their personal examination records included identity numbers. While the media generated revenue from sales of newspapers and associated advertising, for example, social consequences included some learners committing suicide because of the pressures, stress, and depression created by the practice. The passing of the Protection of Personal Information Act and its full commencement has come in handy, by giving legislative effect to the right to privacy in terms of the constitution, among others benefiting the learners.

Issued by Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, SACP Central Committee Member: Media & Communications, 11 January 2022