Umalusi has urged political parties and communities to minimise activity around schools as KwaZulu-Natal prepares for the 4 November elections during the matric examination period.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in KwaZulu Natal has confirmed that 3,462 voting stations will be used across the province for the November 4 elections.
The matric exams started on Tuesday with Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1.
During its state-of readiness media briefing last week, Umalusi chief executive officer Dr Mafu Rakometsi warned that political activities and community protests could interfere with the smooth running of examinations, particularly at schools serving as both examination centres and voting stations.
The quality assurance body said many schools hold extra classes on weekends and during school holidays to prepare candidates for examinations.
It called on political and community leaders, principals, teachers and parents to minimise disruptions, particularly around schools serving as examination centres.
“Umalusi will work with assessment bodies, provincial education departments and other stakeholders to prevent election related activities from interfering with the examination process,” said Rakometsi.
IEC KwaZulu-Natal provincial spokesperson Thabani Ngwira told dailynews.co.za that voting venues were identified through the ward delimitation process, which considers available venues within voting districts, including community halls and churches.
Ngwira said Election Day had been gazetted as a public holiday, meaning there would be no teaching, learning or examinations taking place on the day.
Regarding preparations at voting stations, the IEC said voting materials, including ballot boxes and voting booths, would be distributed a day before the election, while sensitive materials, such as ballot papers, would be delivered on Election Day.
It added that access had already been granted to voting stations and that consultations with the Department of Basic Education were ongoing.
The IEC said the department was also part of the voting station infrastructure task team, alongside other government departments, including the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, in a statement outlined the provinces state of readiness for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations. It highlighted the importance of safeguarding the examination process during the busy November period.
The statement provided context for concerns about the potential impact of election related activities on schools, particularly those serving as examination centre
However, it did not provide specific details on measures to prevent disruptions at schools that would also be used as voting stations.
Nationally, approximately 1,08 million candidates are writing the examinations at 9,183 examination centres.
Rakometsi said 815,051 candidates were registered as fulltime candidates, an increase of 48,508 from 2025 and the largest full-time cohort to date.
Part-time candidates numbered 147,781, an increase of 10,763 from the previous year, including candidates seeking to improve their previous results.
He said the November 4 elections coincided with the examination period, requiring adjustments to the examination timetable. Umalusi warned that election related political activities could affect examination operations if not properly managed.
The body urged all stakeholders to ensure that matric pupils were not disadvantaged during this critical period of their educational journey.