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MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO – Magistrate, Conceptor Ngwerume has slapped six O Level candidates from Madamombe High School in Chivi with five-year bans after they were caught with a leaked October 2022 English Paper 2 in their mobile phones.

They were charged for violating the Zimsec Act Chapter 25:18 Section 35 (a) – any person without lawful cause gains access to exam material; (b) reveals any contents of any examination material to unauthorized person shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

Tinotenda Muzamani (18), Tinashe Mudharara (19), Prime Mapasure (19), Erik Mudzimba (19), Tadiwa Mudimu (19) and Nyasha Gundani (18) will not be allowed to sit any Zimsec exams in the next five years and in addition they will each pay a fine of ZWL$30 000 according to the sentence delivered by Magistrate Ngwerume on Thursday last week.

The students were caught discussing the paper which was in their phones before it was written.

They were all represented by Frank Chirairo of Chirairo Legal Practitioners.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and their lawyer argued that it was not proper to nail the students without establishing and dealing with the source of the leaked paper.

Prosecutor Nixon Chamisa told the court that on the date before the examination, the accused were caught discussing some question papers and investigations by authorities at the school established that the students were actually discussing the leaked examination paper that was in their phones.