Ntethe from Ndwedwe‚ north of Durban‚ was implicated in the matric cheating scandal that rocked the Class of 2014‚ together with his classmates at Mashiyamahle Secondary School.
They all denied cheating. His hope of passing matric was renewed when the Department of Basic Education allowed them to rewrite their matric exam in 2015 but again their results were never released.
Picture: THULI DLAMINI
Now the frustrated 21-year-old has resorted to washing cars at a car wash in Verulam where he earns R70 a day while awaiting his fate.
“Everything is at a standstill. It’s very painful that our lives and future are being damaged this way. Last year was the second matric after us but we’re still loitering at home not know what the future holds for us‚” said Ntethe.
At least he has the backing of his school which is fighting the cheating allegations against its pupils in court.
“The lives of these pupils are at a standstill. They cannot do anything. It’s a shame. They are stranded and frustrated. There is no tangible evidence that my school was involved in copying‚” said principal Zachias Ntanzi.
The school’s lawyer‚ Jay Sarju‚ said an agreement had been reached with the Department of Basic Education to have the pupils’ results released by the end of October last year‚ but it had failed to do so.
Surju is now preparing a court application to compel Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to release the results.
“We would like the department to present us with evidence that we cheated so that we can be punished accordingly but we have not been given any evidence.
“Our parents are demanding feedback but we can’t give them any because we don’t know what’s happening. We can’t look for jobs because we don’t have matric certificates‚” said Ntethe.
But Basic Education spokesman‚ Elijah Mhlanga‚ said it has been difficult to contact all pupils implicated in cheating so that they could present themselves at a hearing.
He said pupils who presented themselves were allowed to write their exams last year but he could not explain why the results of those who rewrote their exam in 2016 had been withheld.
“Only in the case of Mashiyamahle Secondary School‚ where pupils became violent when the team arrived to conduct the hearings in 2015 were the hearings not concluded‚” said Mhlanga.
He said the High Court in Durban had requested the department to conduct the hearings before the end of December last year. The hearings had been rescheduled between January 23 and 26 but Mhlanga said they didn't take place. The department is investigating a new method of contacting the affected pupils.
While some pupils were cleared and their results released‚ Ntethe and hundreds of other matriculants are still in limbo.
“It’s very frustrating and painful what the department is doing to us‚” said Ntethe.
TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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