By Staff Reporter
PRETORIA – A criminal case has been opened against two Department of Basic Education (DBE) officials and a parent after a matric exam paper leak was uncovered in Pretoria, affecting learners from several schools.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube confirmed during a media briefing in Parliament on Thursday that irregularities were detected during the marking process of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. Markers noticed unusually similar responses to a “novel question” in English Paper 2, prompting an immediate investigation.
According to the minister, the probe revealed that 26 matric learners from seven schools had access to leaked examination material. The leak is believed to have originated from within the department itself.
The investigation found that the breach began with two DBE officials and affected three subjects: English Home Language, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences. The leaked papers were reportedly shared via USB and circulated among learners in the Pretoria area.
Twenty-six candidates were identified and flagged for irregularities. The two officials implicated have been suspended immediately, and criminal charges have been filed with SAPS.
A National Investigative Task Team has been assigned to finalise a detailed report, which will be submitted to the minister and Umalusi, the country’s examination quality assurer, by 31 December.
Minister Gwarube emphasised that, despite the incident, the overall integrity of the 2025 NSC examinations remains intact. “Our systems worked as designed — the breach was detected, isolated and contained,” she said.
