TZANEEN –More than 30 learners from Burgersdorp Secondary School finally received their 2025 matric result statements on January 22, bringing relief and joy after weeks of uncertainty.

Fee dispute delays matric results

The statements had been withheld by the school because learners were unable to pay R2 300 for their extra lessons, stationery, and a matric function.

The delay affected tertiary enrolments for some learners, who were unable to submit their results on time.

One affected learner, who requested to stay anonymous, has been living alone since 2015 following his parents’ divorce and relies on the school’s feeding scheme for survival.

Another learner, who had a bachelor’s pass in 2024 and repeated Gr 12 to improve his results, had his dream of becoming a chartered accountant disrupted by the delay.

Legal letter forces the school to release documents

The learners were forced to seek legal assistance from Fumani Mabuza, a lawyer from Bonn village, who had faced a similar situation as a student. Mabuza served the school with a formal Section 27 letter of demand, prompting the school to release the statements.

Dept of Education weighs in

The Herald asked Limpopo Department of Education spokesperson Mike Maringa about the department’s stance on schools withholding matric results over unpaid fees.

Maringa said a learner cannot owe money; a parent or guardian does. “They must resolve the matter. If it is a debt they agreed to, they either provide an affidavit or sign an acknowledgement of debt with the school for the results to be released.”

Mabuza condemned the withholding of results, calling it “repugnant to the provisions of the Schools Act”, which states that matric results must be released to learners unconditionally.

He urged parents to honour any payment agreements they have made and encouraged schools to document these agreements.