The Information Regulator filed an urgent application to block the release of the NSC examination results.
A greenlight has been given for the 2024 matric results to be published in the media next week after the Information Regulator (IR) lost its case.
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday dismissed the IR’s interdict application for a lack of urgency. The IR wanted to block the release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results in newspapers.
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The Department of Basic Education (DBE) opposed the application, which was heard on Tuesday.
The regulator dragged the DBE to court over the department’s alleged defiance against an enforcement notice issued in November last year.
The department faced a R5 million fine for breaching of the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia).
2024 matric results ruling
Delivering her ruling, Judge Ronèl Tolmay concluded that the urgency was self-created.
“The interest of the affected learners should have taken centre stage [but] it did not. There is nothing before me to indicate any prejudice to learners.
“The applicants should have at least in an assessment or papers before this court have dealt with that.
“It is also important to note that on evidence of any complaints by learners were placed before me. The whole dispute at this point centres on the contradicting views of the parties involved,” she said.
Tolmay, therefore, struck the IR’s application off the roll.
She further ordered to the regulator pay the costs of the respondents – including two counsel.
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