News / Education
O-Level examination cheats arrested
28 Oct 2015 at 01:36hrs | Views
POLICE have arrested two men for allegedly writing Monday's O-Level Mathematics Paper 1 Ordinary Level examination, one for his brother and the other for his girlfriend.
Bright Dube, 23, who lives at Victoria Falls Police Camp allegedly wrote the examination for his elder brother Modreck Dube at Ndlovu Secondary School, outside Victoria Falls town.
Bright was caught after an alert teacher who was invigilating noticed differences between him and a picture on the National Identity card he was using. He was using Modreck's ID card, and that attracted the attention of the invigilator who suspected foul play.
Bright was supposed to appear at the Victoria Falls magistrates' court yesterday but prosecutors referred the docket back to the police station so that proper charges could be preferred. Police had initially charged him with fraud but the charges were expected to be altered to violating a section of Zimbawe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Act.
"The accused was using a National Identity card to write an official Zimsec Mathematics November paper when he was caught by invigilators," according to State documents.
Authorities at Ndlovu Secondary School phoned the police to report the issue and Bright was arrested soon after leaving the examination room.
It was not clear yesterday whether Modreck would also be charged.
In a separate incident, Ernest Mpofu, 29, a college tutor was arrested in Dete after he was caught writing the O-Level Mathematics paper for Rebecca Matunge, 25, at Nechilibi secondary school in Dete.
Sources close to the developments told The Chronicle that Mpofu who teaches at Shalom Academy in Hwange sat for the paper on behalf of Matunge who the sources said, was registered as an external candidate.
"The two entered the examination room together for the two and half hour Maths paper which had commenced at 8am after eluding authorities. Mpofu was discovered as he submitted his answer sheet to one of the invigilators, Ellen Simpande who became suspicious on why he had a female name," said the source.
"She asked him to produce his identity documents which revealed that he was not the Rebecca Matunge, whose name was on the answer sheet."
The source said the invigilator alerted her superior who inquired if there was a Rebecca in the room leading to Matunge coming forward. "A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the two," added the source.
Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector, Siphiwe Makonese could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education sources confirmed the arrests and said the duo would appear in court this week for violating a section of the Zimsec Act. The incidents are set to send heads rolling at the schools over how the imposters managed to sit for an exam that they were not registered for.
Hwange district education officer, Lovemore Ncube was not reachable while Provincial Education Director, Boithatelo Mnguni was said to be out of office. Her mobile phone rang unanswered.
Bright Dube, 23, who lives at Victoria Falls Police Camp allegedly wrote the examination for his elder brother Modreck Dube at Ndlovu Secondary School, outside Victoria Falls town.
Bright was caught after an alert teacher who was invigilating noticed differences between him and a picture on the National Identity card he was using. He was using Modreck's ID card, and that attracted the attention of the invigilator who suspected foul play.
Bright was supposed to appear at the Victoria Falls magistrates' court yesterday but prosecutors referred the docket back to the police station so that proper charges could be preferred. Police had initially charged him with fraud but the charges were expected to be altered to violating a section of Zimbawe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Act.
"The accused was using a National Identity card to write an official Zimsec Mathematics November paper when he was caught by invigilators," according to State documents.
Authorities at Ndlovu Secondary School phoned the police to report the issue and Bright was arrested soon after leaving the examination room.
It was not clear yesterday whether Modreck would also be charged.
In a separate incident, Ernest Mpofu, 29, a college tutor was arrested in Dete after he was caught writing the O-Level Mathematics paper for Rebecca Matunge, 25, at Nechilibi secondary school in Dete.
Sources close to the developments told The Chronicle that Mpofu who teaches at Shalom Academy in Hwange sat for the paper on behalf of Matunge who the sources said, was registered as an external candidate.
"The two entered the examination room together for the two and half hour Maths paper which had commenced at 8am after eluding authorities. Mpofu was discovered as he submitted his answer sheet to one of the invigilators, Ellen Simpande who became suspicious on why he had a female name," said the source.
"She asked him to produce his identity documents which revealed that he was not the Rebecca Matunge, whose name was on the answer sheet."
The source said the invigilator alerted her superior who inquired if there was a Rebecca in the room leading to Matunge coming forward. "A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the two," added the source.
Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector, Siphiwe Makonese could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education sources confirmed the arrests and said the duo would appear in court this week for violating a section of the Zimsec Act. The incidents are set to send heads rolling at the schools over how the imposters managed to sit for an exam that they were not registered for.
Hwange district education officer, Lovemore Ncube was not reachable while Provincial Education Director, Boithatelo Mnguni was said to be out of office. Her mobile phone rang unanswered.
Source - chronicle
