Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga will make the official matric results announcement on Thursday, 19 January 2022 and matric candidates will then receive their results a day later at their respective exam centres.
During a press briefing on the approval of the 2022 matric results, Umalusi noted its concern with regards to various forms of irregularities and cheating that were uncovered during the examinations.
Candidates were found in possession of crib notes and cell phones, some exam scripts were also found to have different handwriting and learners were found sharing answers via WhatsApp and other social media messaging platforms.
Umalusi said that sanctions will be handed out to candidates and the results for all candidates found implicated in irregularities are recommended to be blocked and withheld until investigations have been completed.
The DBE head of communications, Elijah Mhlanga says they are currently attending to over 1000 cases of matric exam irregularities in the Mpumalanga province.
This follows an investigation into a massive WhatsApp group matric exam cheating scandal involving teachers and matric learners at 26 Mpumalanga schools.
It was revealed that matric learners paid teachers to have access to the answers posted on a particular WhatsApp group and during toilet breaks while the examinations were in session.
“We have now intensified our investigation and have submitted the irregularities report to Umalusi last week, that was finalised and now we can proceed and accelerate the investigation process,” Mhlanga explains.
The department has urged all implicated learners to cooperate with the investigation process so that the investigation can conclude in a timely manner, so that preparations for the 2023 supplementary examinations can begin.
“We need to go through each case carefully and slowly to make sure we don’t compromise people and to ensure learners are really guilty,” he continued.
He says the department is working towards a deadline to make sure that it completes the investigations for implicated learners to receive their results.
