DA calls on Motshekga and DBE to account to Parliament after another Matric exam leak

24 November 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga and the Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, Hubert Mweli, to urgently appear before the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, to account for the latest incident of leaked matric exam papers. 

It has emerged that Physical Science Paper 2 exam was leaked and seen by students before the commencement of the exam yesterday morning. This latest leak is damaging and has proven that the department has failed to uphold and protect the integrity of this year’s examination which has already been tarnished in controversy.

Parliament has an oversight duty to fulfill and the Minister and her department has the equal duty of accounting, not only to Parliamentarians, but also the public for this leak.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) must tell the Committee how this leak happened and what steps are being taken to hold to account the perpetrators of this act. They must also tell us where these leaks originated from and the steps they have put in place to mend the cracks within the DBE, which have created a fertile ground for these leaks to happen in an unrelenting fashion.

We expected the Department to have tighter security measures in place to prevent further leaks from happening, especially in light of the recent and widely publicized leak of the Mathematics Matric exam paper.

The Class of 2020 has already had an incredibly challenging academic year, and these leaks are adding to the strain and anxiety that pupils are experiencing and will no doubt hurt their examination going forward.

Issued byNomsa Marchesi, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, 24 November 2020