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Following a recent judgment by the High court ruling in favour of matric results not being published, the North Gauteng High Court has now ruled that the Department of Basic Education must continue publishing matric results on digital media platforms and newspapers.
The ruling comes after the Department of Education (DBE) issued a statement noting that matric results will no longer be published on digital media, newspapers, or social media platforms in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (POPIA).
At the time, Elijah Mahlanga, spokesperson for the department, explained, “The DBE recognises that section 14 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, provides that everyone has the right to privacy.”
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However, AfriForum, Maroela Media, and a Grade 12 learner petitioned the Court to overturn the department’s decision.
AfriForum expressed satisfaction with the Court’s decision.
The civil rights organisation said in a statement that it is confident that the matric results will be published on Thursday, 20 January and that former matriculants will be able to access them through newspapers and other media platforms.
“It is in the public interest that this information is shared on public platforms and that is one of the reasons why we brought this application. We are delighted that the Court agreed with us in this argument,” said Natasha Venter, Manager of Education Rights at AfriForum.
The DBE has stated that it will adhere to the Court’s decision to publish National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results on social media platforms.
“This means that the department will make available the results to stakeholders who requested access,” the DBE said on Tuesday, 18 January 2022.
However, according to the department, the conditions of the court ruling must be taken into account in line with the provisions of the POPI Act.
In addition to accessing results through media products, the department has encouraged candidates to register on the website to view the results when they become available on Thursday, 20 January 2022.
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