The East London High Court has ruled in favour of a former Grade 12 pupil who took the department of education to court for not releasing his matric results.
Lonwabo Maninjwa, 23, wrote his national senior certificate final exams in 2018 at the Centre of Excellence High School in East London.
However, when the matric results were released in January, his examination number did not appear in any newspaper as his peers’ did. And when he asked the school, he did not get any clarity on the status of his results.
He was also not given a statement of symbols which indicates whether a Grade 12 pupil has passed or failed.
He said after the results were released, he was told by his principal that there had been a “glitch” and that it would be explained within five working days. That did not happen.
“All this period I was panicking since other pupils were both preparing to apply and register for further studies and others were preparing for supplementary examinations or to repeat Grade 12 entirely,” he said in his court papers.
The department filed in its papers that it had been erroneously cited in the court papers because the Centre of Excellence was an independent high school.
But in her judgment on Friday, judge Nomathamsanqa Beshe said the department’s conduct was “unlawful and unconstitutional”. Beshe ordered the department to give Maninjwa his matric results within five days of her order.
She added that approaching court was the last resort for Maninjwa because on several occasions he had tried and failed to get his results from the school and the department.
“It is my considered view that the applicant had no option but to approach this court for the relief he sought, that he has been successful and therefore entitled to a costs order against [the department],” said Beshe.
Advocate Donovan Pitt appeared for the department, while advocate Dumisani Skoti appeared for Maninjwa...