Motshekga must account to Parliament for Limpopo exam crisis

17 November 2015

We warned Minister Motshekga last week that the irregular appointment of a printing company in Limpopo might result in examination papers being leaked. With the news today that the NSC (Matric) Life Sciences paper was leaked, it is apparent that our fears were justified. 

The question is: why did Minister Motshekga opt to stay in Paris last week when it was clear that a crisis was imminent?

If Minister Motshekga had heeded our calls to come back and deal with the exam problems in Limpopo, this crisis may well have been averted. Her decision to stay overseas speaks volumes about where her priorities lie.

It is also now clear that the recent reports were not the first she had heard of a potential crisis. Serious concerns that had the potential to compromise the credibility of the 2015 NSC examinations in Limpopo were raised months ago.

As recently as 22 October 2015, Minister Motshekga received a letter from Umalusi expressing serious reservations about the state of readiness of Limpopo province to administer the 2015 NSC examinations. 

Last week, the Minister announced through an aide that she would make a Ministerial Statement on the Limpopo crisis in Parliament on Wednesday 18 November (tomorrow). However, we received communication today from the Minister’s office that no such statement will be made.

It is simply not acceptable for Minister Motshekga to renege on her commitment to address Parliament. She must be held accountable for her failure to avert the examinations crisis in Limpopo

The DA re-iterates its call for the Minister to make a Ministerial Statement on the Limpopo exam crisis in Parliament tomorrow, as agreed last week. The Minister has skipped oral questions twice this year. The least she can do is appear before us tomorrow to account for the crisis in Limpopo.

Issued by Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, 17 November 2015