Court Victory for Afriforum and Other Parties: Matric Results May Be Published

By Alana Bailey
Head Cultural Affairs AfriForum

AfriForum welcomes the court ruling confirming that matric results may indeed be published on public platforms and views this as a victory for all parties involved, but especially for the protection of public interests.

The ruling delivered this morning by the full bench of judges, finds that the Information Regulator’s (IR) argument that learners will memorise each other’s examination numbers in order to study each other’s results is unrealistic.

The ruling confirms that the publication of the results on public platforms using only examination numbers instead of names offers sufficient protection for the matriculants’ privacy.

Cost orders were also made in favour of AfriForum and the media houses that were respondents in the case.

The case regarding the publication of matric results in newspapers and on other public platforms was heard in the High Court in Pretoria on 27 and 28 October 2025.

According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, the dispute regarding the public release of matric results started in 2022 when the Department of Basic Education (DBE) tried to prohibit it.

In legal action that followed, the judge agreed with the argument of AfriForum and the other parties involved that the release of the results are in the public interest and should therefore proceed.

At the end of last year, the IR tried to prevent the DBE from releasing the 2024 matric results.

However, the IR’s application to obtain an interdict against it failed, after which this case on the merits followed.

According to Bailey, matriculants regularly appeal to AfriForum to help ensure that they will still be able to get their results in the media as before.

This case was also necessary for providing more clarity about the balance between the protection of individuals’ privacy and the necessity to release information in the public interest.

“This ruling contributes to more certainty in this regard,” says Bailey.

“This year’s matriculants as well as future ones will now still have access to their results and AfriForum is grateful that we were able to protect their rights in this regard.”

Copy of a judgment:

148459 JUDGEMENT