Judge Norman Davis must have been in a foul mood when he set aside basic education minister Angie Motshekga’s  decision to rewrite the matric papers maths II and physical science II.

Describing the decision as “irregular and unlawful”, the judge dismissed the minister’s after-the-fact clarification that she did not in law have the authority to make the rewrite decision as “nonsensical ... an afterthought, devoid of a factual basis ... [a] shambles”. Haibo!..