- Two department employees have been suspended after investigators found they copied exam papers onto a memory stick.
- Seven schools in Pretoria are now under investigation for using leaked papers in Maths, Science and English exams.
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube has revealed that trusted employees inside her own department leaked seven matric exam papers before they were written.
The scandal centers on a group of learners at seven schools in Pretoria.
Gwarube says the leak started with an employee working in the office where exam papers are set.
This official allegedly copied the papers onto a USB drive. They then shared the stolen files with another colleague, who happens to be the parent of a matric pupil.
From there, the papers spread.
The leaked subjects include English Home Language, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences.
Markers first spotted the problem when they noticed something strange in an English Home Language script. The answers looked too similar to the official marking guide.
Investigators dug deeper and found that 25 other learners had also accessed the stolen papers.
“The implicated staff members have been suspended,” Gwarube confirmed.
A criminal case for theft of state property has been opened with the police.
The department is now setting up a special task team to hunt down anyone else involved.
This news comes as the department fights another battle in court.
The Information Regulator is trying to stop the public release of matric results in newspapers. Judgment on that case is still pending, but the department plans to release the results on 13 January 2026 regardless.
Pictured above: Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube.
Image source: Siviwe Gwarube/X
