Net closes on exam cheats
Mako Jerera
Two pupils from Mufakose High1 appeared in court last week after being caught cheating in the middle of an examination.
According to prosecutors, Beloved Chidakwa (19) and Tinashe Shambi (19), already had access to a Mathematics Paper 1 exam paper before the examinations started.
Both were charged with a count of unlawful access to examination material when they appeared before Harare Magistrate Tafadzwa Miti.
Chidakwa and Shambi were freed on ZW$15 000 bail each.
They will be back in court on November 28 awaiting trial.
The duo are accused of having gained access to the paper on October 18.
According to court papers, Chidakwa was caught scrolling on his iPhone 6S and did not pay heed to the instructions to surrender it to the invigilator when called on to, according to court papers.
The invigilator, Zvikomborero Gomera, took the student to the Headmaster David Vurayayi to report the matter.
Upon confiscation of the phone and investigation, it was discovered that it contained scanned copies of the paper which were being written on the same day and pictures of proposed answers.
The matter was reported to the police and Chidakwa was arrested.
He then implicated Shambi, claiming that Shambi had shared the paper through his WhatsApp account.
Shambi was arrested and his phone was also confiscated and the same content was recovered.
The pictures are yet to be submitted in court as exhibits.
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) reported last week that the Ordinary Level Mathematics Paper 1 and English Paper had leaked.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) suspects the soft copies of the papers are leaked by someone at the ZIMSEC head office in Harare.
Also, Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) is investigating the extent of pre-access on the ongoing Ordinary Level examinations while deliberating on the dates for a possible re-write of the leaked papers amid revelations that 11 cases have so far been reported to the police countrywide.
The police have issued a stern warning saying they were seized with the matter and will ensure the arrest of all those illegally circulating examination papers on social media or physically.
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