Dear Minister Gwarube,
URGENT: DISPLACED GRADE 12 LEARNERS NEED AN EXAMINATION PATHWAY BEFORE 25
AUGUST
Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), in partnership with ZEPcc Academy, is urgently calling on the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to intervene to protect the education of learners whose schooling has been disrupted by recent xenophobic unrest.
The urgency is particularly dire for Grade 12 learners. Mock examinations are due to begin on 25 August 2026, yet affected learners still do not have clarity on how or where some of them will write.
ZEPcc Academy has been engaging the Department since July but has not received a response. It currently has 354 registered learners, including 78 Grade 12 learners. Of these, 19 Grade 12 learners are currently displaced and 37 are currently not attending classes. Among Grade R-11 learners, 110 are currently displaced and 195 are currently not attending classes.
Some learners have returned to their countries of origin, while others have relocated to different provinces for their safety. The ZEPCC Academy has established online classes as an interim measure, but access to devices and data remains a significant barrier.
We are particularly concerned that some Grade 12 learners were unable to register because displacement began as early as April, while others have reportedly been deregistered from their schools because of prolonged absenteeism linked to the unrest.
We therefore call on the Department to urgently:
- Make special provision for affected Grade 12 learners to write the upcoming mock examinations, including learners affected by registration problems, deregistration or displacement.
- Provide safe and practical examination arrangements for learners who cannot return to their former schools, including consideration of alternative examination centres and whether ZEPcc could be temporarily authorised to facilitate examinations for affected learners, subject to DBE requirements while it applies for proper accreditation.
- Establish a clear pathway for affected Grade 12 learners to complete their final examinations, including those who have relocated within South Africa or returned to their countries of origin.
Education is a constitutional right. Section 29(1)(a) provides that everyone has the right to a basic education. Displacement from an established school does not remove that right.
These learners did not choose to leave their schools. Their education has been disrupted by circumstances beyond their control. They should not be academically disadvantaged as a result.
ZEPcc has taken steps to keep affected learners learning, but an interim community response cannot replace the responsibility of the education authorities.
We therefore request that the Department appoint a senior official to coordinate the response and urgently convene a meeting with ACTSA and ZEPcc to agree on immediate arrangements for affected learners.
The first examinations are days away. These learners need clarity before 25 August.
We call on the Department of Basic Education to act urgently.
Yours sincerely,
Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) in partnership with ZEPCC Academy