By Johnathan Paoli
Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has confirmed reports of a possible leak of matric results.
Speaking during an urgent media briefing before a ministerial breakfast in Johannesburg on Monday, Gwarube said that the department had identified a breach in its system.
“If the leak is from our side, we will deal with it. If it is from processes outside the department, we will deal with it. But either way, we will take this breach seriously,” Gwarube said.
She said that certain platforms have attempted to sell what they call “authentic” results of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.
Gwarube, however, stressed that while the department acknowledged the incident, it occurred at the “tail-end” of the process, and would consequently not affect the integrity of the results.
The minister outlined the way forward, saying that should investigations identify the leak within the department, it would proceed with internal investigation under the Director-General.
She said that if the leak should be found outside the department, they were obligated to share the information with the Hawks to investigate the matter.
The minister said that the reason the department has remained silent on the issue was to respect the integrity of the investigation.
She said authorities could confirm that the investigation was at an advanced stage, and the department would announce further details concerning the breach.
Gwarube said that while it remained concerning, it should not mar Monday’s event which sought to celebrate learners.
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