Eight people who were hired to mark the all-important 2018 matric exam papers have been caught arriving at marking venues drunk or smelling of alcohol, it emerged on Tuesday.
This, as pupils anxiously await the outcome of the National Senior Certificate results in the new year.
In the Western Cape, some markers appeared to take weekend celebrations a bit too far as colleagues detected the smell of alcohol when they pitched up for work.
"On a Monday morning three markers arrived for training smelling of alcohol during the pre-marking process. They were asked to leave the centre and they returned the next morning for training," said provincial education spokesperson Bronagh Casey on Tuesday.
She said there had been no major glitches or problems at the marking centres. Contingency measures were put in place for load shedding.
Three markers in the North West and two in the Eastern Cape were dismissed after arriving drunk for work, Times Select reported.
Marker dies at school
One of the markers reportedly had a cooler box of alcohol with them and another had to be removed by police after refusing to leave the centre.
North West education spokesperson Freddy Sepeng was not immediately available for comment.
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said there were two markers who weredismissed in marking centres in Pandulwazi and Grahamstown.
Pulumani, however, confirmed that there had been no big hitches.
"Marking is going very well," he said on Tuesday.
In KwaZulu-Natal, a marker died at Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School marking centre from an illness earlier this month.
Philani Gumede had been a teacher at Ibiva High School in Jozini and collapsed at the centre, the Daily Sun reported.
Results expected on January 3
Director general at the national basic education department Mathanzima Mweli noted that load shedding had delayed the capturing of marks and said he would be addressing these concerns with Eskom.
A total of 44 505 markers have been appointed for 141 marking centres across the country.
National basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said marking should be completed by December 15.
Minister Naledi Pandor will announce how the class of 2018 fared on live television on January 3. Pupils will be able to access their results on the department's website and other media outlets from January 4.