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The DA is deeply concerned at reports of a leaked examination paper in the Giyani district of Limpopo.

It is telling that, whenever exam papers are leaked, Minister Motshekga is out of the country. Last year, when papers leaked in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, she was in Paris. At the moment, as papers are leaking in Giyani, Minister Motshekga is in India.

Why is the Minister overseas at the most crucial time in the school calendar?

Minister Motshekga must cut short her overseas trip and return to deal with this potential crisis. The public need to be assured that the Minister is personally dealing with allegations of exam cheating, and putting in place measures to stop further leaks.

The latest bout of matric exam cheating has occurred despite repeated assurances from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in Parliament that all precautionary measures were taken to prevent the leaking of exam papers.

On 13 September 2016, the DBE told the Basic Education Portfolio Committee that it had taken measures to ensure the security of papers across the country. Exam centres had supposedly been categorised according to risk, with extra invigilators and monitors assigned to problem areas. Any centres not complying with security requirements would not be used to store papers.

Unfortunately, it appears as if these measures have failed.

We urge Minister Motshekga to return from India and take charge of exam paper security, before it develops into a full-blown crisis.

Issued by DA