Pretoria, South Africa – Several officials from the Department of Basic Education have been placed on suspension in connection with a leak involving multiple matric examination papers during the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams. The breach came to light after markers identified irregularities in student responses.
The leak involved unauthorized access to seven examination papers: English home language papers one, two, and three; mathematics papers one and two; and physical science papers one and two. Initially, the incident was reported as affecting three papers, but further investigations revealed the broader scope.
Detection occurred through the department’s multi-layered marking system. On December 2, 2025, markers in Gauteng province noticed significant similarities between a pupil’s answers and the official marking guidelines for English home language paper two. This prompted an immediate alert and deeper probe into the matter.
Investigations traced the origin of the leak to the national department offices, where question papers are prepared. One official in the examinations unit is alleged to have passed the papers to a colleague who has a child in grade 12. Both individuals, along with others linked in the chain of access, have been suspended pending further action.
The leaked materials were distributed via a USB device that circulated among 26 pupils from seven schools in a specific area of Pretoria. Authorities have classified the incident as localized and limited in scope.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube addressed the issue during a media briefing on December 11, 2025. She confirmed the suspensions and emphasized the effectiveness of the department’s quality assurance systems in detecting irregularities early. “This shows that our quality assurance systems do exactly what they are designed to do to detect irregularities early and trigger a deeper investigation,” Gwarube stated.
The minister also announced that decisive steps have been taken, including handing the case over to the police for a criminal investigation. The alleged offences include possession and distribution of stolen state property. Gwarube assured that the leak does not compromise the overall integrity of the national exam system. “The vast majority of our pupils wrote honestly, and we will not allow the actions of a few individuals to overshadow their hard work,” she added.
In response to the breach, a National Investigative Task Team has been formed. This team includes representatives from Umalusi, the South African Qualifications Authority, Universities South Africa, teacher unions, Department of Basic Education officials, and an independent forensic investigator. The task team’s responsibilities encompass identifying all implicated pupils, verifying the full extent of the breach, and proposing enhancements to the security of the National Senior Certificate system.
A preliminary report from the task team is scheduled for release on December 29, 2025, with a final report following on December 31, 2025. Umalusi, the council responsible for quality assurance in general and further education, has been officially notified of the incident. As a precautionary measure, certification processes for the affected exams have been temporarily paused until the investigation is complete.
