By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed that it was investigating the allegations which came from complaints lodged with its WhatsApp hotline set up to field reports of exam irregularities.
The scandal reportedly included WhatsApp groups on which pupils could pay teachers up to R1,500 to share answers while exams were in session.
The scandal involves 1189 pupils from six provinces and it is believed some teachers and invigilators helped pupils cheat.
It is alleged that in addition to posting answers on the WhatsApp groups, invigilators provided answers to pupils during toilet breaks and even passed crib notes to them in exam halls.
Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga revealed that the subject identified in the Mpumalanga exam cheating racket was economics.
In Gauteng it is alleged that 53 pupils cheated in the economics paper 1 exam while four candidates were accused of cheating in the maths literacy exam in the Eastern Cape.
Three pupils were also flagged for cheating in the maths literacy exams in the North West, while Western Cape and Limpopo each had a pupil who allegedly cheated in the English paper.
Mhlanga confirmed that the matter was being investigated.
This is not the first time controversy has engulfed South Africa’s matric exams. In 2020, Mathematics Paper 2 was leaked into the public domain.
Umalusi CEO, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, prior to the approval of writing of the 2022 end-of-year matric exams, issued a stern warning to all stakeholders regarding incidents of cheating.
“Once again, as we have done in the past, we would like to issue a stern warning to all learners and teachers to refrain from all forms of cheating, including group copying, where teachers are sometimes implicated.
“We berate and condemn this criminal practice with the contempt it deserves. Cheating compromises the integrity of our national examination system, which we are mandated to jealously protect as a quality council,” Rakometsi said.