Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has confirmed that two officials from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) have been suspended with immediate effect following a breach that saw matric exam papers leaked to learners in Pretoria.
Gwarube revealed the development during a media briefing on Thursday, saying the leak was detected through the system’s stringent marking processes.
This year, over 900 000 candidates sat for the 2025 exams across 7 000 centres, supported by thousands of invigilators and more than 51 000 markers and moderators.
“The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination is one of the largest and most complex national undertakings in our democracy.
“It is through our markers’ diligence that we were able to detect a breach in our exams. This morning, I want to inform the country that our systems worked exactly as they were designed to do: to detect, isolate, investigate and address any manipulation of the NSC exams,” the Minister said.
How the breach was detected
Marking began on 1 December at 183 centres nationwide, and early in the process, markers in Gauteng picked up an anomaly in six English Home Language Paper 2 scripts.
“The Gauteng Department of Education officially alerted the national Department of Basic Education, on 02 December 2025, to an unusual similarity between the answers provided by a candidate with the answer provided in the marking guideline for English Home Language Paper 2,” she said.
The Minister said a preliminary investigation confirmed the suspicion.
“The breach did not come to light through rumours. It was not discovered by chance. It was detected because markers… are equipped to know the difference between authentic learner responses and content that should only be accessible to markers,” she said.
Extent of the leak
Gwarube said interviews with 26 learners revealed that they had gained access to question papers and marking guidelines prior to examinations. Investigators traced the material back to the DBE’s national office.
“Of the 162 papers that we had set, only 3 subjects were accessed prior to the examination: English Home Language Papers 1, 2 and 3; Mathematics Papers 1 and 2; and Physical Sciences Papers 1 and 2,” she said.
These papers were distributed through a USB device, with the leak confined to seven schools in one Pretoria area.
“Our systems are robust. They have allowed us to identify that the suspect involved is an employee of the Department of Basic Education who has a child in Grade 12. Evidence suggests that she received the question paper from another DBE employee who works within the examination unit,” the Minister said.
The Minister said that both staff members have since been suspended.
Independent investigation launched
To ensure full accountability, Gwarube announced the establishment of a National Investigative Task Team (NITT), which will begin work within 24 hours.
The NITT will include an independent chairperson; Umalusi; Universities South Africa; Teacher Unions; SAQA; DBE officials; and a private forensic investigator.
Its mandate includes confirming the source and spread of the breach, identifying all implicated learners, safeguarding the credibility of the 2025 NSC, and recommending measures to prevent future breaches.
Additional processes including investigative marking, verification of scripts, interviews, statistical analysis, and correlation of exam marks with school-based assessments are being deployed.
Umalusi informed, results not affected
The Minister said that Umalusi has been formally notified and will receive both a preliminary and final report before results approval.
“We want to reassure the country that no results have been finalised; no certification processes have begun and a preliminary report will be provided to the National Examination Irregularities Committee on 29 December 2025, and the final report will be submitted to both the Minister and Umalusi on 31 December 2025,” she said.
The Minister will work with the team to study the report to ensure that the department is ready to announce the results on 12 January 2026.
“Our investigations show that this incident was limited to a few individual learners in 7 schools. There is no evidence of systematic and widespread breaches and as such we don’t expect it to affect the credibility of the NSC,” she said.
Zero tolerance for cheating
Gwarube said the exam system is designed with multiple layers of protection, including secure setting and printing; strict distribution protocols; locked storage; trained invigilators; multi-tiered marking by skilled markers; moderation and advanced statistical verification.
“The fact that only a limited number of scripts triggered our alarms; that markers escalated their observations as per their training; and the system responded immediately and in full force, demonstrates that our system is functioning and able to address the matter immediately.
“This sends a clear message to the public – you cannot cheat the NSC system and get away with it. We will detect it; we will investigate it; and there will be consequences,” she said.
The Minister further urged learners to uphold integrity.
“Your matric certificate is a symbol of your effort, your resilience, and your integrity. When you cheat, you not only break the rules but you undermine your own future.”
The Minister assured that the department “will leave no stone unturned” and that criminal investigations are underway, with the South African Police Service notified of the possession of stolen state property.
“South Africa can rest assured that any cheating in the NSC examinations will be detected. Our systems are strong, our professionals are vigilant, and we will always act to protect the integrity of our national examinations,” she said.
Next steps for the affected learners and communities
Gwarube urged calm among parents and school communities in the affected Pretoria area, stressing that the department was moving decisively while ensuring fairness.
She said the DBE would be communicating directly with the schools involved and confirmed that the staff members suspected of orchestrating the leak have been immediately suspended.
She added that implicated learners would not be prejudged.
“Learners who are implicated will be afforded due process and treated in accordance with established prescripts. We are not making assumptions about guilt – each case will be individually assessed,” she said.
“We follow a zero-tolerance approach to cheating in the NSC exams and are committed to supporting innocent learners who worked hard and played no part in this breach,” said the Minister. – SAnews.gov.za
