Matric pupil arrested during exam for robbery

Two caught while writing on behalf of other candidates

A KZN matric pupil was arrested while writing his maths examination over an armed robbery that was committed over the weekend.

"It is alleged that over the weekend when he was supposed to be preparing for the maths exam on Monday, he was busy doing other things. Police arrested while busy writing the exam, " Elijah Mhlanga, spokesperson for the department of basic education, said.

Meanwhile, minister Siviwe Gwarube said two people unauthorised to sit for exams were arrested and that they are being investigated by police.

She also said illegal exam aids such as cellphones and crib notes were found and confiscated from other candidates, who are also undergoing investigation.

Gwarube revealed this during a Wednesday media briefing on the progress of the 2024 matric exams.

Providing further clarity on the arrested pair, Mhlanga said the two tried to take exams on behalf of other candidates.

It is alleged that over the weekend when he was supposed to be preparing for the maths exam on Monday, he was busy doing other things.Elijah Mhlanga, basic education spokesperson

"It happens, especially with part-time candidates. What happened is that these two tried to enter the exam room and write on behalf of others. They were caught before writing and now they are with the police," he said.

During the briefing, Gwarube said while no exams could be perfect, she reassured  members of the public that the department has put in place measures to address any challenge that might arise.

"Our dedicated teams are actively monitoring each phase of exam processes," she said.

A total of 727,121 full-time learners and 155,215 part-time learners are writing the 2024 matric exams across the country. 

Gwarube also touched on the number of incidents that claimed the lives of children as a result of suspected food poisoning.

"We must also address recent cases of food poisoning affecting several of our learners. Initial investigations have shown that these incidents originated from food items purchased outside of school premises, particularly items tainted with hazardous chemicals such as organophosphates.

"Organophosphate pesticides are highly toxic substances and pose a significant risk, especially to young children. In these cases, it appears that certain foods were contaminated, resulting in serious health consequences for the affected learners," she said.

She said pupils' safety remains her top responsibility as minister. 

"In response to these incidents, my department is working with the department of health to develop safety guidelines for schools on how best to mitigate the risks of organophosphate pesticides entering school environments. 

"I am also exploring all possible legal avenues, within a basic education context, to ban these pesticides and insecticides from entering our school environment," Gwarube said.

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