Build One South Africa (BOSA) is not surprised by the rank hypocrisy demonstrated by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in response to the release of the 2025 matric results last night.
The DA knows full well that the pass rate of 88% announced last night by the Minister of Basic Education – the DA’s Siviwe Gwarube – is deceptive statistical gymnastics.
For decades, the DA has in opposition correctly disputed the pass rate announced by government each year. This is for two reasons: (1) the matric “pass” can be obtained by passing 3 subjects at 30% and 3 subjects at 40% – essentially a 35% aggregate, and (2) the actual pass rate is typically around the 50% mark when considering the number of learners dropping out of the system since they entered in grade one.
Just over a year in national government, and the DA and its own Minister of Basic Education has done a 180-degree U-turn and now promotes and defends what is essentially a lie.
The DA has chosen power over principle. It is happy to implement the ANC’s misleading education system which continues to strip away the potential of young South Africans. The DA is now not just ANC-lite, it is an implementer of ANC policy.
We reject this hypocrisy, but we are not surprised that the DA continues to tow the ANC line in exchange for government perks such as luxury cars, VIP protection and minister mansions.
The DA along with its bedfellows in government – the ANC, FF+, PA and Al-Jama-ah – voted against BOSA’s motion to end the 30% pass mark for matric subjects. These parties sold out the future of South Africa’s young people, telling them that low standards and mediocrity is fine, in turn setting millions up for a life of unemployment.
The 30% pass mark is nothing more than Bantu Education in the modern era. It is a policy that entrenches low expectations and masks systemic failure. By defending this standard, these parties chose to protect an illusion of success instead of confronting the crisis in our education system..
The starting point to reforming South Africa’s education crisis is replacing the 30% pass mark with a 50% minimum for all subjects.
In addition, reform must include an independent education ombudsman, raising salaries for educators, curtailing trade union power, incentivizing students during the academic year, prioritizing the foundation phase of education, fixing ECD centres, introducing a school voucher programme, and conducting a nationwide teacher skills audit.
Going forward, BOSA will continue to pursue all interventions to fix what is broken and ensure that every South African learner can thrive
Media Enquiries:
Roger Solomons
BOSA Spokesperson
072 299 3551