The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
TWO trainee teachers from Gweru and a cook at Mkoba teachers’ college who were being accused of leaking an Ordinary Level Mathematics November Examination Paper One to pupils and private candidates were last week acquitted after the State failed to provide substantial evidence.The trio, Bismarck Gumbo, Brighton Tamboona and Shepherd Munjanja were last week found not guilty by Gweru magistrate Mildred Matuvi of contravening the Zimsec Act.
It was discovered that Mkoba Teachers’ College principal Mrs Florence Dube had misrepresented facts to the police alleging that Munjanja had leaked the exam to the students who were sitting for the November examinations.
In his defence, Munjanja alleged that he had no access to exam papers and that he was framed by some of the students who had been caught in possession of the hand written questions from a leaked exam paper.
“What happened is that one of the officials at the college forced the students to admit that I had leaked the exam to them. The students used to come to my house where we used to study Mathematics together when I wanted to sit for my June examinations,” said Munjanja.
It is alleged that the principal, Mrs Dube, summoned students to her office after being informed that some of the students were in possession of hand written questions from the Mathematics Paper One.
The students were asked if they were associating with any external education or college official. The students mentioned Munjanja.
Mrs Dube is said to have forced the students to admit that the paper had been leaked by Munjanja.
Munjanja was subsequently suspended and relieved of his duties as a cook.
The principal then invited police officers to search Munjanja’s house but could not find anything.
Clever Chimuka, a headmaster at Whata Secondary School in Lower Gweru and his deputy Thulani Nkomo and a teacher Praise Dube are also being accused of criminal abuse of office and leaking Zimsec examinations.
In 2013, a school head at Njeremoto Secondary School in Sesombe Resettlement area in Zhombe, Vimbai Manaka, was arrested together with Bonaventure Mungwiro (42), a teacher at Manunure High in Kwekwe, his brother Berbandino (40), a teacher at Munyati High in Kwekwe, William Gondo a student from Midlands State University and Michael Chiridzo(40) and Lloyd Mpofu who are both teachers at Chiridzo Private College in Mbizo, Kwekwe, for leaking O-level Geography Paper Two and Integrated Science Paper Two.
Miss Yeukai Mugumba appeared for the State.
