THE unfolding scandal of Namibian students who allegedly obtained fake certificates from bogus colleges in Zimbabwe deserves serious scrutiny.
According to a report we carried in yesterday’s edition, 23 Namibians have appeared in court back in their country in connection with the scandal.
The culprits allegedly obtained these fake qualifications to gain admission to several Namibian institutions of higher learning over the past few years. Some had allegedly used their fake qualifications to gain admission into the Namibian Defence Force and were already undergoing military training before they were caught.
Another group of 14 students was reportedly studying in various fields at the University of Namibia, College of the Arts and Polytechnic of Namibia.
Others had allegedly gained admission to the municipal police in Windhoek. The full extent of the scandal might not be known until the suspects go on trial sometime in January.
However, the authorities should not rest on their laurels, but start working on weeding the rotten apples in the education sector before the cancer spreads.
Bulawayo has a large number of Namibian students studying at various colleges and it would not be surprising that some of these bogus colleges in the city.
The court case would certainly cause irreparably damage to Zimbabwe’s image. Zimbabwe’s education system is well regarded in the region hence the high number of foreign students who still choose to study in this country despite the economic downturn.
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Clearly, fly-by-night businesspeople are taking advantage of this high demand for training by foreigners to generate ill-gotten wealth.
The regulatory institutions should move in with speed not only to protect the unsuspecting foreigners, but the reputation of the country’s education system.
There is a possibility that there are Zimbabweans who possess these fake certificates and have access to opportunities they do not deserve.