Matrics accused of copying take minister to court

SOUTH Africa’s biggest matric cheating scandal has cost Thabo Mokoena an opportunity to better the lives of his povertystricken family.

Mokoena lost his bursary because he was among the 5 000 pupils accused of group copying during last year’s final exams.

He is one of 139 pupils who have taken the national and KwaZulu-Natal education departments and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to court to access their “illegally withheld” matric results.

The pupils attended Mashiyamahle High School in Verulam, north of Durban. The school was one of 39 in the province singled out for fraud- ulent activity.

At least 5 329 irregularities were found in last year’s exams in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

The pupils, many from poor and child-headed households, said they had been forced to put their lives on hold.

Pending the outcome of the case lodged at the High Court in Durban, the youngsters have also pleaded their case with the office of the state attorney, asking that it call a meeting between all the parties to discuss a settlement to “short-circuit the dispute and mitigate the damage” to the pupils.

Senior assistant state attorney CW Bailey has responded to the pupils’ lawyer, Durban attorney Jayendra Suraj, saying the office would “revert to the proposal” once witnesses have been consulted.

Mokoena, the primary applicant in the case against the department, had already received a bursary from a Durban tertiary institution. However, the absence of his final result meant the bursary approval fell through.

“This has affected me very much, emotionally, financially and mentally. I worked hard to pass and I had the financial aid. Now, in my community, it’s like I’m a failure,” he said.

Mokoena said he felt “betrayed” by a system that promised a better life for those who obtained an education.

“I am being accused of something I didn’t do. My life is miserable right now. Who will want me without my matric [results]?”

In January, the pupils and implicated staff members at the school were ordered to attend a department hearing on the alleged cheating.

In court papers, the pupils allege that a handful of them were selected to be interviewed by department officials and subjected to an “interrogation”.

“Whilst some of the inter- viewers were harsh, some others were soft, promising that nothing would happen to us if we implicated the invigilators.”

After the hearing, the pupils were apparently told they could expect the outcome of the investigation on January 28.

On February 11, they were told they would be required to rewrite their papers on February 16 at a school nearly 30km away. Given just a week to prepare, the pupils said this was “patently unfair and unjust”.

The department is opposing the application.

Spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department’s case would be “contained in our replying documents in the next court date” at the end of the month.

I worked hard to pass and had the financial aid. Now it’s like I’m a failure