Examination cheats in court

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A 17-YEAR-OLD boy from Msiteli High School in Bulawayo, who was alleged to have leaked a Zimbabwe School Examination Council (Zimsec) mathematics paper two, yesterday appeared in court.

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy from Msiteli High School in Bulawayo, who was alleged to have leaked a Zimbabwe School Examination Council (Zimsec) mathematics paper two, yesterday appeared in court. PRESTIGE GAMA OWN CORRESPONDENT

The boy and his brother (names withheld to protect the minor’s identity), who is alleged to have helped his sibling with answers to the examination paper, appeared before the Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Chipumha-Dube facing charges of contravening Section 35(a) of the Zimsec Act.

The boy was remanded out of custody so he can continue sitting for other examinations while his brother was remanded in custody to today for judgment.

Prosecutor Vimbai Chikosha told the court that last Thursday the minor was caught smuggling in a sheet of paper, which had answers to an examination he was due to be writing, by invigilator Bekezela Ndebele.

The teacher immediately notified fellow invigilators and the matter was referred to the headmaster.

“I could notice something was wrong with the boy because he kept looking from side to side in a suspicious manner and this attracted my attention,” he said.

“I saw him holding an A4 paper, which he seemed to be looking at from under the table.

“I proceeded to retrieve the paper on which he had mathematics answers and I handed it over to my colleague, Barbra Moyo.”

The school’s headmaster immediately called the Zimsec Matebeleland manager Godfree Muyambo, who instructed the school to take away the external sheet and allow the boy to continue writing till he got there.

“I received a phone call and I was told what had transpired,” Muyambo said.

“I then told the head to take the sheet and keep it, but allow the boy to go back and finish the examination “I came there and compared the answers and question one to nine were accurate showing it was worked on before the exam,” he added.

On further questioning, the boy revealed that his brother had given him the answers, leading to the police to conduct a search in their house where they recovered a photocopied 2014 mathematics ‘O’ Level Paper 2.

The elder brother admitted he had the paper and that he received it from an unnamed aunt, who resides in Gweru. He said he had been given the paper so he could help his sibling pass the examination.

“I got the copy from my aunt and I was instructed to help my younger brother to pass the exam,” he said.