Hawks make major breakthrough into exam leaks
PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on basic education has welcomed the arrest of a man working for a company contracted to print 2020 National Senior Certificate exam papers in connection with the Maths paper 2 leak.
The paper was the first reported to be leaked last month, with preliminary investigations detecting this occurred in Gauteng and Limpopo. However, evidence was later received by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) that other provinces except the Free State also had access to the question paper before it was written. The department approached the Hawks to assist in their investigation
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said 31-year-old Themba Shikwambana was arrested last Wednesday following a Hawks serious corruption investigation for alleged theft of the Maths exam paper 2. Shikwambana made his first appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and was remanded.
He appeared again on Monday, when he was granted R1 000 bail and the case postponed to January 27, 2021,
“Shikwambana works for a Johannesburg-based company that is contracted by the DBE to print the current year’s Matric exam papers,” said Mogale.
DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga yesterday confirmed the arrest.
The integrity of the 2020 matric exams has also been called into question after Physics paper 2 and Business Economics were also leaked.
The investigation by the Hawks into the leak of the other papers continues.
Basic Education Committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said: “The actions of the DBE and the investigating authorities leading to the speedy arrest must be commended. This should be a lesson to all prospective criminals out there that the law will take its course and that you will not go unpunished. This is the future of our children that you are playing with.”
Mbinqo-Gigaba encouraged the investigating team to do all in its power to trace the source of the leaks of all National Senior Certificate papers.
“We do not want the credibility and integrity of the examinations to be compromised.”
This as the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) held a special meeting yesterday to receive a preliminary report into leaked matric exam question papers.
“The CEM deliberated on the report and noted that the investigation had not yet been completed and that more work still needed to be done. The council agreed that the credibility, integrity and fairness of the examination cannot be compromised. CEM acknowledged the complex nature of the investigation. CEM also appreciated the work being done by the Hawks to assist the department in the investigation,” said Mhlanga.
He said the report would be processed internally and DBE Minister Angie Motshekga was expected to host a media briefing later this week.