The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) on Friday said that it was relieved that matriculants would not be punished for a few pupils that cheated.

This after the High Court in Pretoria set aside the Basic Education Department’s decision to undertake a national rewrite of two leaked exam papers.

Judge Norman Davis declared the department’s decision unlawful and irregular.

Several applicants, including teachers’ union Sadtu and lobby group AfriForum, took the matter to court after Minister Angie Motshekga announced last week that Maths Paper 2 and Physical Science Paper 2 would be rewritten.

“I’ve always maintained our view that it is not learners who leaked the question papers. Learners cannot be punished for the mess created by the department,” said Cosas national spokesperson Douglas Ngobeni.

The Education Department said that it was still studying the ruling.

AfriForum has welcomed the court ruling.

Spokesperson Kallie Kriel said that it was a huge victory for what was right.

“It was not right to expect from hundred of thousands of matrics, that studied, that worked hard, that did nothing wrong, to be punished by having them write again. So we are jubilant.”