ZimNow News Desk
Furious citizens have demanded that Zimbabwe School Examinations Council officials found guilty of leaking exams face a mandatory 10-year jail term, saying the rot has gone too far and is destroying the education system.
As reported in Chronicle, the call came during a heated public hearing on the Zimsec Amendment Bill in Bulawayo, where participants accused Zimsec insiders of being the source of recurring paper leaks.
“A question paper cannot suddenly find its way into a teacher’s or learner’s phone. The source is Zimsec. I therefore propose a mandatory 10-year prison sentence for officials found complicit,” said Ms. Sehlile Thebe, drawing loud support from the floor.
Ms. Monalisa Dube added, “We are not condoning those who spread the papers, but closing the source is key. I support the 10-year sentence, if not more.”
The hearing, chaired by Zaka North legislator Ofias Murambiwa, is part of Parliament’s consultations in five provinces. The Zimsec Act of 1994 is being revised to reflect changes in the education sector.
Key proposals include:
- Renaming Zimsec’s head from Director to Chief Executive Officer, with powers similar to a university vice-chancellor.
- Allowing Zimsec to deregister examination centers that fail to meet standards—though residents warned this could hand Zimsec unchecked power without an appeal process.
- Calls for broader representation on the Zimsec board, including teacher training colleges, NASH, NAPH, and both public and private universities.
But it was the demand for stiff jail time that dominated proceedings, with citizens insisting only harsh penalties will restore credibility to Zimbabwe’s examination system.
Years of Exam Leak Scandals
Zim Now has tracked repeated exam leak cases:
Despite arrests of teachers and students, residents argue the real masterminds inside Zimsec have never been punished.
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