QWAQWA — A matric certificate without integrity is worthless.That was the blunt warning from Free State Education MEC Dr Mamiki Maboya to 41,000 matriculants as she led the 2026 National Senior Certificate pledge signing at a packed Bluegumbosch Multipurpose Hall on Friday, 09 October, in the presence of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Education is not only about obtaining the certificate, but about developing the intellectual and moral capacity to participate meaningfully in society,” Maboya told learners from across QwaQwa.
She said the pledge — “I was here. I understood. I accepted. I take responsibility” — was not just another item on the school calendar.
“Today we ought not to think of the pledge as simply another activity. We ought to understand it as a moment in which each learner is asked to pause and answer a much deeper question: Who do I choose to become when nobody is watching me?”
Maboya said the Department and the national assessment centre had strengthened systems to protect the credibility and integrity of the examinations.
She called on learners to build a new culture of Ubuntu.
“We must build a culture in which young people understand that solidarity does not mean helping somebody to cheat, but means helping another person to prepare. That is the kind of Ubuntu we want to see in our schools,” she said.
“You must go into those examination rooms with an understanding that you are representing your families, yourselves, your schools, your communities and the province at large.”
The MEC thanked teachers for their sacrifice and pleaded with them to remain available throughout the exam period.
She reminded learners of the chain of responsibility: government creates conditions to succeed, educators teach and prepare, parents support and protect, and learners must learn.
In 2025, the Free State achieved an 89.3% pass rate — 34,129 of 38,205 candidates passed, with 16,728 Bachelor passes (43.8%). For 2026, the province has set a target of 95% with 55% Bachelors. The exams start 13 October and end 26 November.
“A dishonest certificate and an honestly earned one may look the same on paper, but they do not carry the same weight,” Maboya warned.
“May your results open doors, but may your character determine what you do once those doors are opened.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa, reflecting on the milestone, acknowledged years of hard work and sacrifice and appealed to families and society to support the Class of 2026.
He urged learners to trust their preparation, strive for excellence, uphold honesty, and warned that any examination irregularity could jeopardise their entire future.
