A 19-year-old man from Bellevue suburb in Bulawayo was ordered to perform 105 hours of unpaid service for cheating during the 2022 public examinations.
David Chipendo was convicted of cheating during last year’s Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary Level examinations.
Chipendo appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Busani Sibanda facing charges of gaining access to examination material as defined in Section 35 (a) of the Zimbabwe School Examination Council Act Chapter 25:18.
He was initially sentenced to seven months imprisonment but four months of his sentence was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining three months were suspended on condition that he performs 105 hours of community service at Donnington Police Station.
In passing the sentence the magistrate noted that Chipendo was a first offender.
However, Magistrate Sibanda ruled that the option of a fine was going to trivialise the offence and thus community service will allow Chipendo to introspect and also deter would-be offenders.
Allegations were that on 4 October 2022, Chipendo was writing the Ordinary Level Combined Science Paper 2 at Herentals College situated at Corner 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street.
It was further alleged that while collecting the answer sheets from the students, the informant discovered that Ndlovu had folded and torn answer sheets.
The informant quickly alerted the authorities who seized the material which they discovered was prepared answers for the Combined Science Paper 2 which was being written.
The matter was reported to the police and investigations led to Chipendo’s arrest. | B-Metro