Police arrest headmistress and five teachers after Midlands exam leak
By Freedom Mupanedemo
POLICE have arrested a headmistress at a high school in Zhombe’s Sesombe area in Kwekwe district and five teachers from different schools in the Midlands for allegedly leaking the November O-Level Integrated Science Paper Two.
Vimbai Manaka, the headmistress of the school believed to be the source of the leak, together with her five accomplices, Michael Kutama, Lloyd Mpofu, William Gondo and brothers Bonaventure and Bernard Mangwiro, all believed to be teachers from different schools in the Midlands, were by yesterday still detained at Gweru Central Police Station.
A number of schools in and around Kwekwe are going to be affected in the event Zimsec orders a re-setting and re-writing of the question paper. The leaked paper was sat for by candidates yesterday.
Kwekwe lawyer Mr Valentine Mutatu of Mutatu and Partners, who is representing Manaka and Kutama, could also be seen at Gweru Central Police Station by late yesterday.
Police spokesperson for Midlands Province Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the six’s arrest but referred further questions to the police national spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi.
Chief Supt Nyathi also confirmed the development but said he was not in office to give finer details on the matter. In an interview, Mr Mutatu said his clients were arrested at the weekend for contravening Section 35 of the Zimsec Act.
He said he could not secure his clients’ release yesterday but expressed optimism the suspects would be taken to court today.
“My clients are being accused of contravening Section 35 of the Examinations Act. They stand accused of leaking an Integrated Science O-Level paper. I am still gathering facts to see how best we can assist them secure their freedom,” said Mr Mutatu.
Police sources close to the investigations said Manaka acted in connivance and leaked the paper to Kutama and Mpofu.
The source said Kutama and Mpofu later went around selling photocopies of the leaked paper to the other suspects for between $5 and $10 per question paper.
“Investigations are still under way and it is suspected that there are many other exam papers which could have been leaked by the same syndicate.
“Police received a tip-off leading to the arrest of a teacher at a private school in Gweru. The arrest of the private college teacher in Gweru later led to the arrest of the other five,” said the source.
The names of the schools where the suspects are teachers had not been revealed at the time of going to press last night. The Chronicle
