18 exam cheats convicted

Eighteen cheating students from different high schools in Chitungwiza who illegally got this year's Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Ordinary level Mathematics Paper 2 and took the answers to an examination room, have been convicted of unlawfully accessing examination material prior to writing.

Some of the students accessed the paper by receiving a handwritten answer sheet from their private tutor identified as Mufaro Ngwalangwa.

They started distributing it to other sitting candidates in the dormitory town through the social media.

Five more students brought to court yesterday will be dealt with today.

Tinashe Ngaliwa (24) of 7851, Warren Mwale (20), Wayne Mwase (22) all of Unit K, Ernest Chipindu (26) of Unit M were jointly charged with a 15-year-old boy.

They pleaded guilty to the charges of contravening section 35 (a) of the Zim-Sec Act (Chapter 25; 18) before Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Lazarus Murendo who sentenced them on Wednesday each to 140 hours of community service at St Aiddans Government Primary School in Chitungwiza.

The 15-year-old was warned and discharged.

The remaining eight students appeared on separate records and were each handed a wholly suspended six-month jail term.

In handing down the sentence, Mr Murendo took a swipe at Zimsec employee for leaking examination papers.

"By having the answers to that paper, you believed that you would see the opportunity to come out with flying colours.

The blame is not laid on the accused, but both the person from Zimsec or Fidelity Printers and something needs to be done about it.

"Hard studying pupils' efforts will be reduced to nothing while the nation loses cash with parents losing more through investment in their children. At the end of the day certificates of this country will end up being worthless papers to other countries," he said.

Prosecutor Ms Ntombikayise Nleya proved that on Monday, both internal and external students went to sit for their Ordinary Level Mathematics Paper 2 in different schools. During the examination, Ngaliwa asked to relieve himself and was escorted by invigilator, Against Mutinhima.

On their way back to the examination room, Mutinhima saw Ngaliwa carrying some papers and suspected foul play.

Mutinhima alerted the school authorities of his suspicion and Ngaliwa was called for questioning. Ngaliwa revealed that he smuggled some answers into the examination room.

On further probing, he implicated other candidates who were found with photocopied handwritten answers. Some of the students from other schools had the answers in their cellphones.

Winnie Muzuva (42) who was jointly charged with Prince Musarurwa (18) of Unit C, appeared on separate records with Moses Kanyemba (25), Jakel Mufaro (20) and Otilia Zengeni (31) all of Chitungwiza and pleaded guilty to unlawfully gaining access to examination material.

Mr Murendo slapped Mufaro, Kanyemba and Muzuva with seven months in prison, with three months suspended for five years. The remaining four months were set aside on condition that they complete 140 hours of community service at different institutions. Musarurwa was slapped with a wholly suspended six months jail term while Zengeni was slapped with 10 months in prison.

Four months of her sentence were set aside for five years and the remaining six months commuted to 210 hours of community service at Chitungwiza Police Station.