Gang rapes on pupils in Eastern Cape marred matric exams: Gwarube

Basic education minister angry over 'violence that continues to plague our society' and spoils an otherwise relatively smooth exam process

While the matric exams are to conclude on Thursday after a relatively smooth process, safety and violence against pupils came to the fore during the exam period when some learners were gang raped in separate incidents in the Eastern Cape.

Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube on Wednesday gave an update on the matric exams which started in October and spanned 28 days. About 727,000 full-time and 155,000 part-time pupils sat for the national senior certificate exams across the country.

Exams are set to conclude with the rewriting of the computer application technology (CAT) for pupils who experienced technical problems during the first attempt of the assessment.

In addition, 319 pupils in the Eastern Cape will write an exam on Thursday which they missed due to flooding in the area, said Gwarube.

She said the exams were smooth and stringent monitoring was in place to ensure a fair process. High-risk exam centres were closely supervised with a minimum of 70% of centres monitored during each session.

Despite this, there were some violent incidents, such as gang rape incidents in the Eastern Cape. Five pupils were gang raped while preparing for their exams at a home in the province and a few weeks later, another female pupil was gang raped on November 13 also in the Eastern Cape.

“As we celebrate the resilience and hard work of our pupils, we cannot ignore the social issues that affect their safety and wellbeing. The gang rapes during this exam period are a stark reminder of the violence that continues to plague our society. These incidents have left me, and I believe many South Africans, deeply angered and saddened. They underscore the urgent need for collective action to create a safer environment for our children.”

She said such heinous acts were a reminder of the dangers that many girls face and called for all to stand against such acts as the country observes 16 days of activism against women and child abuse.

“Schools and communities must be places of safety, not spaces of fear, violence and abuse.”

Other challenges in the exam period were protests in various parts of the country, including in Jan Kempdorp in the Northern Cape, in Gert Sibande municipality in Mpumalanga and in Limpopo. Extreme weather in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga also disrupted exams.

“These incidents reinforce the importance of proactive planning and collaboration with disaster management teams, which helped mitigate the impact on pupils,” said Gwarube. “Despite some challenges, the overall administration of the exams has been smooth, with minimal irregularities thanks to the collective efforts of our dedicated educators, administrators and the pupils themselves.”

Once the exams conclude, the focus will move to the 181 marking centres across the country, which opened on Wednesday and involved 50,000 markers.

To ensure fairness and consistency, the department has already conducted 60 out of the 164 planned marking standardisation meetings at which marking guidelines are reviewed and finalised.

Exam results are expected to be released on January 13, with provincial education departments releasing on January 14.

Gwarube said emphasis has been placed on food safety at marking centres. Online workshops on food handling were being conducted for examination managers, marking centre managers and school principals to prevent contamination. Preparations also include ensuring a clean and continuous water supply and adequate hydration in warm areas.

“As we conclude this phase, I also want to address our pupils directly. The end of the exams is a time for celebration but it must be done responsibly. I urge matriculants to refrain from alcohol abuse during ‘pens down’ events or 'matric rage' parties.

“These moments should be a celebration of achievement, not a risk to life and safety,” Gwarube said.

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