ZELDA VENTER
The urgent application by the Information Regulator (IR) to obtain an interdict against the public release of the 2024 matric results is due to go ahead today (Tuesday) in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, after which there will be more clarity on whether the results may be published next week or not.
With this application, the IR is trying to prevent the Department of Basic Education (DBE) from releasing the matric results in the public media because it maintains that this will be a violation of matriculants’ right to privacy.
The DBE maintained that an order issued by the court in 2022 gave them the green light to publish the results in the media. However, the chairperson of the IR made it clear in her affidavit that the urgent court is not currently called upon to inquire into the lawfulness of the 2022 order as it is a matter for another day.
This application is, according to her, about the DBE complying with an enforcement notice and order issued to it by the IR, in which it was made clear that the results may not be published at this stage, as doing so would infringe on the Protection of Personal Information Act.
The case where the merits of withholding or publishing the results will be decided will follow later in the year.
Both the DBE and AfriForum will meanwhile oppose the urgent application. They maintain that the 2022 order is still in place and that it is in the public interest to publish the results without identifying the matriculants.