Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says the department has implemented contingency measures to ensure that this year’s matric examinations proceed smoothly, even in the face of unexpected disruptions.
More than 900,000 candidates are expected to sit for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, which officially begin on Tuesday.
Gwarube said all provinces have developed comprehensive plans, including alternative examination venues, to deal with emergencies such as natural disasters, civil unrest, power cuts, or water outages.
“One of the things that provinces are doing is to make sure there are alternative venues in the event of natural disasters or civil unrest,” she said.
“We’ve got contingency measures in place, including plans for load shedding and water outages. Of course, we are hoping for an incident-free exam period.”
The minister’s assurances come after last year’s disruptions in the Eastern Cape, where heavy rains and flooding prevented hundreds of matric learners from writing their exams on schedule.
Gwarube added that officials from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) will continue to monitor conditions nationwide to ensure fairness and safety for all candidates.
The DBE is urging learners, educators, and parents to stay informed through official communication channels and to report any issues that could impact the smooth running of the exams.