Civil rights group AfriForum has threatened legal action against the Information Regulator (IR) if it proceeds with its urgent application to prevent the publication of the 2024 matric results.

This comes after the regulator got an order against the Department of Basic Education (DBE) that the matric results not be published in newspapers to protect the learners' information.

However, the department said it would go ahead with their usual publication of results.

The results will be out in January.

The department said that it was in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) by no longer revealing the first and last names of applicants.

According to DBE, the publication of results would not cause any harm to anyone.

In a letter to the IR’s legal representative, AfriForum requested to be added as a co-respondent to the case if the IR goes ahead with the case against the DBE on January 7.

According to AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs Alana Bailey the request was based on compliance with the court order issued on January 18, 2022, in favour of the publication of matriculation results.

At the time, AfriForum and other parties brought the case to ensure that the 2021 matric results could be published on public platforms.

The court order confirmed AfriForum’s opinion that the publication of examination numbers without names provided sufficient protection of the privacy of the matriculants while also being in the public interest.

The Information Regulator not only announced that it was fining the DBE for the intended publication of the results but also approached the court on an urgent basis to try to stop the publication thereof.

Based on the court order, AfriForum considered the enforcement order of the IR to be invalid and was therefore ready to oppose any action against the DBE and the publication of the results.

“Matriculants have a right to privacy, but also the right to access their results on public platforms provided that their names are not published. This is an established practice, and the court has already conceded that this is in everyone’s interest,” Bailey said.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

#dbe

South Africa's 2024 matric results to be announced despite ongoing legal challenges

AfriForum to take legal action against Information Regulator over matric results publication