Zimbabwe Education Minister issues statement on leakage of 2022 O-Level Exam

The ZIMSEC security worked with the Commercial Crime Division of the CID and the Central Intelligence Organisation to trace the source of the leakage after the leakage was reported on 16th October from the Zvishavane area.  The team found out that:

• The question papers in three subjects leaked from Thokozane Secondary School in Matabeleland South Province and circulated on WhatsApp and some social media platforms.
• The question papers were peddled by some ordinary citizens and some Advanced Level candidates charging those who needed the question papers.
• Candidates and school officials and ordinary citizens who posted question papers on WhatsApp and those buying them were arrested and appeared in court.  The sentences they got, however, were either community service or fines.  
• Mr. Kudakwashe Betserayi who fraudulently registered an ECONET SIM card in ZIMSEC’s name and sold question papers was arrested in Masvingo and is still on remand.  
• The Head and the Deputy Head of Thokozane Secondary School are still in custody in remand in Filabusi.

It is important for Hon. Members to understand the system that was used by ZIMSEC in the examination process.  The system was introduced after 15 000 candidates were implicated in the leakage of English Paper 2 in the 2017 examination session. In addition to all other measures that were in place:-

• A cluster system of keeping question papers was introduced which had a three-tier system in the keeping of keys to the question papers at a cluster point. Madam Speaker, no one person would access the question papers when the system was used correctly at school level.
• A ZIMSEC monitor, a hired retired educationist was third tier at each cluster point.
• The cluster points are in two categories – one that services more than one centre and the other type which is called a standalone which keeps its own papers because it is far away from all other schools.

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