Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has welcomed the swift action taken by the department to contain the matric exam breach incident. The committee said this will also protect the integrity of the examination system. The portfolio committee was responding to Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube’s urgent briefing on Thursday, during which she announced the exam breach.
Gwarube confirmed that her department had identified a breach during the marking processfor the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) final examinations. She said after interviewing at least 26 learners, many admitted to gaining access to the question papers before writing their final exams. “Upon studying the question paper, our investigators concluded that it could only have originated from the national Department of Basic Education’s offices.” The chairperson of Parliament’s Basic Education Committee, Joy Maimela, said the committee noted that the breach was identified on 2 December 2025, affecting seven schools in Pretoria and 26 pupils.
The committee also welcomed the precautionary suspension of two officials suspected of involvement. “We view these allegations in a very serious light, particularly as they point to a breach of trust by individuals entrusted with a critical national function. “The committee will continue to exercise vigilant oversight throughout the investigation process. We will call for briefings on the progress at appropriate intervals, ensure that progress reports are tabled and monitor the implementation of any recommendations arising from the National Investigative Task Team’s findings,” Maimela said.
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