Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube. (Photo: Sharon Seretio/ Gallo Images) 
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has announced that pupils at seven schools in Pretoria had access to National Senior Certificate exam papers in three subjects before they were written.
Addressing the media in Cape Town on Thursday, she said the subjects were English Home Language (papers 1, 2, and 3), Mathematics (papers 1 and 2) and Physical Science (papers 1 and 2).
Gwarube began by outlining South Africa’s multilayered, quality-controlled marking system, which she described as one of the core safeguards of the National Senior Certificate (NSC). The system includes the appointment of expert markers using strict criteria, the development of detailed marking guidelines, standardisation meetings across subjects, intensive training of markers, moderation and tight compliance with defined tolerance ranges to ensure consistency and accuracy in marking.
“It is this robust system that enabled us to detect an anomaly in six scripts in Gauteng,” she said. “Our well-trained markers were able to pick up an irregularity without delay and escalated the issue to the relevant officials. Markers, our first line of defence, their expertise is one of the greatest strengths of the system,” she said.
Markers, trained in “investigative marking”, noticed that answers in certain English Home Language Paper 2 scripts bore an unusual resemblance to the official marking guideline. They escalated their concerns without delay, prompting the Gauteng Department of Education to alert the national department on 2 December. This immediately triggered standard protocols, including a preliminary investigation, which confirmed the breach in a small number of scripts.
Gwarube stressed: “This detection demonstrates the influence of our system. The breach did not come through rumours. It was discovered. 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.”
How far the breach spread
The national Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Gauteng Department of Education launched a joint investigation, interviewing 26 pupils linked to flagged scripts. These pupils admitted prior access to the English Home Language Paper 2 question paper and guideline, traced to the DBE offices.
Further probing revealed the breach spanned seven of 162 papers: English Home Language papers 1, 2, and 3; Mathematics papers 1 and 2 and Physical Sciences papers 1 and 2. Shared via USB, it appears confined to seven Pretoria schools.
“Of the 162 papers that we had set, seven were accessed before the examination,” Gwarube said. “The breach occurred at the offices of the DBE, where question papers are set.”
The suspect is a DBE employee with a Grade 12 child, who allegedly received papers from a colleague in the examinations unit. Both have been suspended.
Comprehensive investigation under way
A National Investigative Task Team (NITT) launched within 24 hours, chaired independently with exam quality assurer Umalusi, the University of South Africa, DBE officials, a forensic investigator and teacher unions. Their mandate is to confirm the source, verify localisation, identify affected pupils, safeguard NSC credibility and prevent recurrences.
Priscilla Ogunbanjo, director of national assessment and public examinations, highlighted that the DBE will appoint an independent forensic investigator to support the process. “This investigation must be independent, especially given the breach appears to have originated within the department,” she said.
Tools include investigative marking audits, script verification, interviews, statistical analysis and performance comparisons for anomalies such as unexplained spikes.
“No results have been finalised. No certification processes have begun,” Gwarube reassured. “A preliminary report will be provided to the National Examination Committee on 29 December, and the final report will be submitted to both myself as the minister and Umalusi on 31 December this year.”
Technical breakdown of breach detection
Ogunbanjo gave a technical briefing outlining the DBE’s processes and how the recent exam breach was uncovered.
She emphasised the tight regulations governing the entire examination process. “The conduct, administration and management of the NSC examinations are clearly outlined in the regulations, covering everything from registration, exam paper setting and administration, to marking and the resulting processes. These are protocols that are strictly followed nationwide.”
The breach was detected on 2 December during the marking process, when the Gauteng Department of Education alerted the DBE to an anomaly in the marking of English Home Language Paper 2. “While question papers and marking take place centrally and simultaneously across all nine provinces, it was in Gauteng that six candidate scripts were found to bear a very close resemblance to the confidential marking guidelines.”
Ogunbanjo explained why this was cause for concern: “Our curriculum requires the inclusion of novel and new questions every year to foster problem-solving and critical thinking skills. It is highly unusual – and practically impossible – for multiple candidates to submit nearly identical answers to novel questions they could not have seen or studied beforehand.”
Following the discovery, preliminary investigations were launched jointly by the DBE and Gauteng officials. “Eight candidates were interviewed in total: five whose scripts showed the anomaly and three others. The interviews focused on how their answers matched so closely with the unpublished marking guidelines.”
She noted that, by protocol, marking guidelines are only shared after the exams. “The candidates admitted to having access not just to the questions, but also the marking guidelines for English Home Language Paper 2, which explains why some answers were almost verbatim copies of the guidelines held exclusively by the DBE.”
Further investigations revealed that the breach extended beyond English to mathematics and physical sciences. “Information from interviews suggests the leaked materials were shared via USB storage devices. This explains why the breach was limited to just a few schools and candidates, as sharing by other means would likely have caused wider dissemination.”
Ogunbanjo also explained how the marking process itself helps to identify anomalies: “Markers specialise in investigative marking. Rather than a single person marking a whole script, different markers assess individual questions. This system makes it easier to spot suspicious patterns, such as identical phrasing, punctuation and even errors replicated across multiple scripts, which would be highly unlikely by chance.”
Investigative marking will be applied in all seven affected schools, sampling not only the implicated subjects but other subjects as well. “We want to assure the public that the investigation is thorough and that the breach was limited to what we currently understand.”
Candidates whose scripts show anomalies will be formally charged after Gauteng finalises its processes and given the opportunity to respond during hearings. Invigilators will also be interviewed to determine whether examination protocols were properly followed. Further statistical analyses will compare candidates’ 2025 exam performance with previous years and their school-based assessments to detect any irregular patterns.
“To ensure fairness, only those actually guilty will be held responsible, and innocent candidates will not be penalised,” Ogunbanjo stressed.
She concluded by affirming the department’s commitment to transparency and thoroughness: “The DBE will leave no stone unturned. The National Investigation Task Team will commence work immediately and aims to complete its investigation by 13 January. A preliminary report will be submitted to the National Examinations Irregularities Committee on 29 December, and then to the minister and Umalusi on 31 December ahead of final approval of results.”
Zero tolerance, due process and criminal action
The DBE has taken decisive action against the implicated staff members, placing them on immediate suspension to ensure the investigation proceeds without interference. The matter has also been formally reported to the South African Police Service, which will probe the criminal dimensions, including the unlawful possession and distribution of stolen state examination materials.
For the pupils involved, Gwarube emphasised fairness above all: each case will undergo individual due process in line with established examination irregularity procedures, avoiding any presumption of guilt and allowing for a thorough, evidence-based assessment. Should the pupils be found guilty, they will not be allowed to write for three NSC examination cycles.
“We follow a zero-tolerance approach to cheating in the NSC exams,” Gwarube declared firmly. “You cannot cheat the NSC and get away with it. We will detect it. We will investigate it, and there will be consequences. Any individual who attempts to manipulate the NSC exam system, whether a learner, an official or an outsider, will be detected.”
The department would also communicate directly with the seven affected schools in the Pretoria area, keeping parents, teachers and pupils informed every step of the way.
Protecting honest pupils and the NSC’s credibility
Gwarube stressed that, amid more than 900,000 candidates who sat the 2025 NSC exams, only 26 pupils from seven schools have been implicated so far – a tiny fraction that underscores that there is no evidence of a systemic or widespread issue.
“This transparency today is not an announcement of a system failure. It is a demonstration of the proof of our strengths and our systems,” she said.
The minister said the department processes about 11 million scripts annually, yet its multilayered protections – secure paper setting and printing, strict distribution protocols, trained invigilators, rigorous marking and moderation, as well as advanced statistical checks – make breaches extremely rare. When they did occur, as they might in any human-involved system, the protocols activated swiftly and effectively, as proven in this case by the markers’ prompt escalation.
“Your matric certificate is a symbol of your effort, resilience and integrity,” Gwarube told the nation’s young people directly. “When you cheat, it is not only about breaking the rules, but you also undermine your future forever. To the thousands of learners who wrote their papers honestly, we honour you by detecting those who cheated. This investigation is being conducted to protect you and your achievements and the value of the NSC certificate,” she said.
Gwarube reiterated the department’s unwavering commitment to fairness, vowing to leave no stone unturned in upholding the NSC’s credibility for the honest majority. DM