4 jailed over exam fraud

A Glen Forest Development Centre deputy headmaster conspired with two teachers to have one of them write this year's Ordinary Level Mathematics Paper 2 on behalf of a candidate. Glen Forest Development Centre trading as Glen Forest Secondary School is a trust school in Goromonzi District.

The deputy headmaster, Thomas Augustine Mabvuregudo (37), Mathematics teacher Patrick Kolopa (29), Science teacher Stewart Munaka (31) and the candidate, Neville Roia, were sentenced to 210 hours of community service.

The quartet pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime and Harare magistrate Ms Gamuchirai Siwadi sentenced the quartet to a year each in prison. Six months of the sentence was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

The remaining six months were suspended on condition that they each completed 210 hours of community service. Kolopa was facing a separate charge of contravening the Zimbabwe School Examinations Act and was sentenced to another 210 hours of community service.

Prosecutor Mr Progress Maringamoyo told the court that on November 1 this year Mabvuregudo and Munaka were at the school preparing to invigilate candidates sitting for O-Level Mathematics Paper 2. The pair was approached by Roia who was one of the candidates. They agreed that Kolopa was to write the examination for him.

To avoid detection by other candidates the quartet agreed that Roia would sit for the exam with other candidates while Munaka collected extra papers and gave them to Kolopa. Kolopa wrote the examination using Roia's candidate number and after the examination Mabvuregudo took the examination paper and enclosed it with the other candidates' papers.

He discarded Roia's examination script as spoiled. The offence was discovered by ZIMSEC's human resources manager, Mr Paul Nyausaru, who was doing spot checks in Goromonzi District. Meanwhile, a man appeared in court last Friday accused of assisting a German national to get permanent residence status in Zimbabwe.

Kim Birketft (57) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Arnold Maburo facing charges of contravening Section 36 (I) (gI) as read with 36(i) of the Immigration Act Chapter 4:02. Mr Maburo dismissed Birketft's application for exception and remanded the case to December 15 for his trial date.

In his application for exception, Birketft submitted that the person he is accused of assisting, Lutter Claudia, was charged with similar allegations and was acquitted. In his ruling, Mr Maburo said the charges are different and he could not review the ruling done by another magistrate.

Mr Maburo instructed the State to subpoena its witnesses. The complainant in the matter is the Department of Immigration represented by Mr Evidence Ruziwe.

Prosecutor Mr Desire Chidanire alleged that sometime in October 2012 Birketft was given Claudia's police clearance and birth certificate to facilitate the processing of permanent residence status.

It is alleged that Birketft took the documents to Immigration headquarters at Liquenda House in Harare where they were stamped. The court heard that Birketft then advised Claudia to go to the immigration offices and collect her pass- port.

It is alleged Claudia collected her passport after the residence status was endorsed. The court heard that Birketft had no right to assist Claudia in the manner he did.