The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has announced the implementation of measures to protect students and teachers from potential disruptions that may arise due to local elections on November 4th.
Minister of Education (MEC) Sifo Khlumuka stated that the schedule for final examinations has been adjusted to ensure student safety: no exams are scheduled for the day of the election. Similar protective measures have also been applied to internal exams for students in grades 4 through 11, which take place from October 21st to November 14th.
Currently, 203,815 candidates are registered for the NSC 2026 exams, including 188,102 full-day and 15,713 part-time participants. This represents an increase of 7,916 people, or about 4% compared to last year, indicating a rise in the number of students reaching the final stages of their education.
In preparation for the increase in candidates, the department has launched an extensive student support program, which includes winter and spring classes across the province. The winter learning program, held from June to July, aimed to fully cover the curriculum and provide intensive preparation for students before the exams.
Over 31,156 trained observers will supervise the examination sessions in approximately 1,766 centers. Furthermore, a thorough inspection was conducted to guarantee adequate equipment for printing approximately 32 million individual test papers. Logistics will be managed through 13 storage points and 103 distribution centers.
During his address at the National Certificate 2026 readiness event, Department Head Nkosinathi Ngkobo noted that the police are on high alert to ensure the delivery of examination materials to centers without any hindrance. Ngkobo also warned that all students caught attempting cheating during the exam will be banned from taking exams for the next three consecutive sessions. Teachers or staff found violating examination rules will also be dismissed.
