The department of basic education has identified officials at its headquarters as the source of the leak of matric final examination papers. Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube on Friday gave an update on the interim findings and recommendations of the national investigation task team (NITT) on the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination breach. “On the evidence available to date, the NITT reported that the breach originated within the DBE’s secure national examinations environment — that is, within the secure environment where NSC question papers are set, processed and managed.
“The NITT further indicated that, on the evidence available to date, a DBE official whose child was an NSC 2025 candidate is alleged to have been involved in this breach, with the pupil subsequently forming part of the distribution chain. It also noted that a possible second suspected official remains subject to corroboration through the ongoing forensic and investigative work,” Gwarube said. Seven question papers — English home language (papers 1,2 and 3), mathematics (papers 1 and 2) and physical sciences (papers 1 and 2) — were leaked.
The minister said 40 pupils from seven schools in Tshwane were implicated. The breach was detected through the strength of the department’s marking and quality assurance systems. Gwarube said markers are the department’s first line of defence, and the fact that anomalies were identified and escalated through established protocols demonstrates that the NSC system is designed to detect irregularities and act decisively to protect honest pupils.
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“We will not compromise the future of thousands of honest pupils because of the actions of a few, and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring accountability and safeguarding the value of the NSC certificate,” Gwarube said. She said the investigating team reported that the leaked materials were shared through a combination of digital and physical means, including removable storage, electronic messaging, screenshots and printed copies. “The NITT further cautioned that evolving technologies — including AI-enabled tools — can be used to disguise misconduct, reinforcing the need to modernise prevention, detection and invigilation controls.”
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