Kaya 959 Point of View with Phemelo Motene

BOSA Fails in Bid to Raise Matric Pass Mark to 50%

Loading player...
A heated education debate ended in disappointment for Build One SA, as Parliament voted down its proposal to raise the matric pass mark from 30% to a more ambitious 50%. 119 MPs, including the ANC, DA and FF Plus, opposed the motion, while 87, led by the MK Party, EFF, IFP, Rise Mzansi and ATM, backed it. BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane argued that the current pass threshold sets learners up for failure and entrenches systemic inequality, from overcrowded classrooms to collapsing early childhood development. But MPs clashed sharply over the causes of poor outcomes and fears of destabilising the schooling system. Phemelo speaks to BOSA Deputy President Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster on what the defeat means for South Africa’s education future.
2 Dec 2025 3PM English South Africa Education · Careers

Other recent episodes

Legal Matters: bail blow, RAF claims and missing millions

In this week’s Legal Matters, Nthabiseng Dubazana breaks down a string of headline-grabbing cases - from why Magistrate Thandi Theledi denied Fannie Nkosi bail, to using couriers to submit RAF claims, and the dismissal of a cash-in-transit employee linked to a missing R1.3 million.
22 Apr 4PM 37 min

Jagersfontein disaster case delayed

The long-running court battle over the deadly Jagersfontein dam collapse has been pushed back to August in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein. Eight accused - both individuals and companies face serious charges including murder and damage to property following the 2022 tragedy that left widespread destruction in its…
22 Apr 4PM 11 min

Constitutional Court rules Human Rights Commission cannot issue binding directive

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the South African Human Rights Commission cannot issue binding directives, saying the watchdog must turn to the courts to enforce its recommendations. The judgment stems from a dispute over restricted access to borehole water on a farm, where an SAHRC order was ignored. The…
22 Apr 4PM 18 min

Masemola case postponed to May

The criminal case against Police National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has been postponed to 13 May in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. Masemola faces four counts linked to alleged violations of the Public Finance Management Act over a controversial R360 million SAPS contract awarded to alleged underworld figure Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala…
21 Apr 4PM 6 min

Amnesty warns of global human rights backsliding

Amnesty International has sounded the alarm over what it calls a “perilous new era” for global human rights, driven by attacks on international law and multilateralism. In its latest global report covering 144 countries, the organisation warns that governments, corporations and anti-rights movements are undermining accountability systems. However, it notes…
21 Apr 4PM 15 min
All episodes