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The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has encouraged National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates, who were unsuccessful in their initial attempt at the exams, to make use of the official Second Chance Programme.

The Second Chance Programme is provided free of charge to candidates.

Eligible individuals may register to rewrite or add subjects without any payment, in accordance with the department’s policies for the May/June examination cycle. 

The department stressed that it does not endorse any private or commercial services that require payment for participation in the Second Chance Programme. 

“For authentic information, please contact the Department of Basic Education directly or visit the official website,” the DBE said.

The aim of the Second Chance Matric Programme is to provide support to learners, who have not been able to meet the requirements of the NSC or the extended Senior Certificate.

The programme is part of meeting the goals of the National Development Plan and the basic education sector, leading to increased learner retention. Learners are also exposed to bursary opportunities for further studies. 

Candidates to be supported 

• Senior Certificate Examination Candidates: Learners registered to write the Senior Certificate examinations in June.  
• NSC Examinations Part-time candidates: Learners who attempted the NSC examinations post 2008, and will write the examinations in May/June and November.

Targeted subjects include Accounting, Agricultural Science, Business Studies, Economics, English First Additional Language, Geography, History, Mathematics, Mathematic Literacy, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences.

The DBE is set to release the 2025 Matric Results on 12 January 2026. This year, over 900 000 candidates sat for the 2025 exams across 7 000 centres, supported by thousands of invigilators and more than 51 000 markers and moderators. – SAnews.gov.za

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is set to outline its comprehensive preparations for the 2026 academic year at a media briefing on Tuesday.

“The briefing will outline NSFAS’s comprehensive preparations for the 2026 academic year, with a focus on funding disbursements and registration support for all universities and TVET [Technical and Vocational Educational and Training] colleges. 

“Dr Maluleke [NSFAS Board Chairperson] will provide detailed guidance on key processes, timelines, and responsibilities,” NSFAS said in an advisory.

At the briefing set to be held on Tuesday, 6 January, the scheme will give details of the 2026 disbursement schedule, funding decisions and eligible lists, as well as 2026 qualification code updates, among others.

“Additional topics will include support measures for institutions and students during the registration period, and the streamlined appeals process,” the scheme said on Monday.

Last week, the NSFAS announced that it has processed all funding applications ahead of the start of the 2026 academic year.

The briefing is set to be held at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in Pretoria. – SAnews.gov.za

The Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), Dorah Modise, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of Commissioners of the PCC.

“We thank and applaud our Chairperson, President [Cyril] Ramaphosa on his well informed and guided decision on the appointment of these diverse leaders of our society and communities to drive and guide our country’s just transition journey and climate action efforts” said Modise.

The Commission was established in 2020 as a multi-stakeholder body to advise on South Africa’s climate change response measures as well as our just transition development pathways and interventions to a low-emissions, climate-resilient economy, and society. 

The term of the previous cohort of commissioners ended on 31 December 2025 and the new commissioners will serve for a period of five years from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030 in terms of the Climate Change Act, 2024 (Act No. 22 of 2024).

President Ramaphosa announced the appointment of the new commissioners in a statement on Friday. –SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Basic Education has reaffirmed the integrity and governance of the state national senior certificate examination system.

This as it noted with serious concern, unfounded statements relating to the identification of a limited examination breach during the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

“While the Department of Basic Education (DBE) unequivocally condemns any breach of examination integrity, it is both inaccurate and analytically unsound to suggest that the integrity of the NSC is fundamentally compromised or that independent examination bodies are inherently more secure,” it said.

This as the Freedom Front Plus bemoaned the fact that departmental officials have been implicated in leaking matric exam papers, saying this erodes confidence in the public education system.

READ | Two officials suspended over matric exam paper leaks

In its statement on Sunday, the DBE said any compromise of examination integrity is unacceptable, regardless of its scale or origin. 

“The DBE does not minimise such incidents. On the contrary, the department acted decisively, transparently, and in accordance with the law by publicly acknowledging the breach, instituting a National Investigation Task Team, suspending implicated officials, and initiating criminal and disciplinary processes. These actions reflect institutional accountability and systemic resilience, not failure,” it explained.

The department said the detection of the irregularities itself demonstrates the robustness of its quality assurance and monitoring systems. 

“The breach was identified through internal controls during the marking process, swiftly traced to its source, and isolated through established mechanisms. Credible examination systems are defined not by the absence of attempted breaches, but by the strength of their detection, response, and remediation frameworks. On this measure, South Africa’s NSC continues to meet national and international benchmarks.

“Assertions that examination irregularities are unique to the public examination system, or to the DBE specifically, reflect an uninformed, extremely narrow and parochial reading of national and global assessment systems.”

The department said international experience shows that no examination authority public or private is entirely insulated from human misconduct. 

It further added that in  South Africa, the DBE, the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), work collaboratively through formal service-level agreements to ensure coherence, quality assurance and national benchmarking. 

“This cooperation strengthens the credibility of the national examination ecosystem rather than fragmenting it,” the department said.

The department said the NSC examination, as administered by the DBE, continues to underpin access to higher education, skills development and employment, and is widely trusted by universities and employers.

“The Department of Basic Education rejects the insinuation that the integrity of the National Senior Certificate is in terminal decline or that public schooling is structurally incapable of safeguarding assessment standards. Such claims are unsupported, selectively framed, and politically opportunistic.” The DBE’s Director-General Mathanzima Mweli said.

The DBE is set to release the 2025 Matric Results on 12 January 2026. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has confirmed that the event where large numbers of dead white mussel, whelks and other shellfish were washed out at St Helena Bay and Elandsbaai on the West Coast has remained confined to those two areas. 

Observations by Fisheries Control Officers (FCOs) and satellite imagery, indicate visible red tides from Elandsbaai 100km northward, to above the Olifants Estuary on the West Coast. 

There have been no mortalities of fish or shellfish reported associated with these visible new red tides. However, there remains a high risk of toxicity and it is still advised that “all shellfish, irrespective of being washed out or collected from shore or subtidal, should not be eaten”.

Satellite imagery and reports by members of the public and FCOs, also confirm a visible red tide in Walker Bay, Hermanus. 

“This red tide is bioluminescent, the phytoplankton producing spectacular flashes of colour at night. There have been no reported fish or shellfish mortalities reported with this red tide but a cautionary approach remains that no shellfish be collected and eaten,” the DFFE said.

Further eastwards, there has been a mass mortality of fish in the Hartenbos Estuary in Mosselbaai. This mass mortality, the department said, is not due to a red tide, but is the result of sewerage discharge and resultant eutrophication and ammonia toxicity.   

“There are a variety of reasons for the current mass kills and washouts of fish and shellfish on the West and South Coasts. However, the department cautions members of the public to refrain from eating any washed out marine animals as they carry significant health risks, rendering them unsuitable for consumption,” the department said.

The DFFE will continue to monitor the situations with respect to the extent of the red tides and resultant mass mortalities on the West Coast and South Coast. – SAnews.gov.za

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has recorded robust law-enforcement outcomes through the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) during intensified operations conducted between 1 and 31 December 2025.

Working with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and other law enforcement agencies, officers discontinued 410 vehicles, impounded 110 vehicles, and made 88 arrests across the province as part of efforts to curb lawlessness, remove unsafe vehicles and protect commuters during the festive season.

Johannesburg recorded the highest enforcement activity, with 2 825 e-force infringements, 186 vehicles discontinued and 39 vehicles impounded. 

Tshwane issued 914 handwritten notices, recorded 1 311 e-force infringements, and discontinued 155 vehicles. 

Ekurhuleni saw 35 arrests, 35 impoundments and 69 vehicles discontinued, while a further 15 arrests were recorded in Sedibeng.

Crackdown on public transport

A crackdown on public transport revealed serious non-compliance. Officers found 498 minibuses operating without licence discs, 629 drivers without valid driving licences, and discontinued 358 minibuses for critical defects.

Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said the results reflect a firm stance against unsafe and illegal operations.

“These outcomes demonstrate our zero-tolerance approach to lawlessness on our roads. Operators who endanger commuters through non-compliance will be dealt with decisively,” said Diale-Tlabela.

She commended GTI officers for their commitment during the festive season and urged commuters to prioritise safety.

“We call on commuters to use licensed and compliant public transport only. Road safety is a shared responsibility. E Thoma Ka Wena! It Starts With You,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za