'Dumped' exam papers probed
2003-11-04 12:50
Johannesburg - KwaZulu-Natal education Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Narend Singh has ordered an investigation into Afrikaans matric examination papers that apparently fell from a vehicle last week, said provincial education spokesperson Joshua Mazibuko.
He was responding to calls by the African National Congress to "come clean on what happened".
Mazibuko said it was political opportunism on the part of the ANC to imply that Singh was involved in the incident in any way.
He said the investigation would "get to the bottom of the whole issue" and its results would be reported to the public.
On Thursday, November 30, some Grade 12 examination scripts were found by members of the public on the road from Nongoma to Vryheid. Apparently they fell off a truck.
The officials concerned assured Singh that the incident was not deliberate, and that all the exam papers were recovered, said Mazibuko.
ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said it could have disastrous effects on the matric results if all the scripts had not been recovered.
Mthimkhulu said Singh was trying to "to sweep the matter under the carpet" so as not to tarnish his image, and that he owed the public an explanation.
"No one knows the circumstances around this event. It is only fair to wait until all the facts are on the table before we pass judgment," said Mazibuko.
- SAPA