Industry players have castigated the Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) over its decision to become the sole supplier of science chemicals and consumables to examination centres with effect from November 2023.
According to Examinations Circular 24 of 2023, ZIMSEC will supply examination centres that offer science practical examinations with Science chemicals and consumables from November 2023, onwards.
Industry players who had been supplying laboratory equipment to schools told CITE that they suspect “someone” received a tender from ZIMSEC because the business was profitable during exam season.
They said ZIMSEC announced the move without any consultation and several suppliers claimed they had already stocked up on apparatus worth thousands of US dollars hoping to sell to schools.
A supplier of laboratory equipment in Bulawayo who requested anonymity told CITE that the move will “kill” the private sector. Said the entreprenuer:
Someone saw an opportunity to make money from this business. But closing the private sector out is killing and destroying the economy.
Another proprietor claimed that this move would result in the closure of more than 150 companies at once. They said:
My company has quite some stock coming from China and is worth US$60 000. Normally around April, we prepare for exam time and buy stock in preparation for the November exam season.
If we are not supplying schools, it means every one of us who has done business with schools is effectively disenfranchised.
Another supplier said most laboratory and science chemical suppliers rely on schools for business while his own company serves more than 200 schools in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Masvingo. He said:
There was no communication with stakeholders. In any case, ZIMSEC wouldn’t have disclosed that since it’s basically outside the law.
You don’t muzzle schools to say, “You’re only going to buy from us”.
We have been supplying schools for the past five to six years. Our problem is not ZIMSEC coming into the marketplace and selling their stuff to schools but is ZIMSEC saying it is the only one that will sell to schools?
ZIMSEC is not supplying these for free so it has nothing to do with free education but making money.
Another proprietor, a Mr Masikinye, said the ZIMSEC regulations will negatively affect businesses and some people will be laid off as a result. He added:
Cambridge has the capacity to supply all these things to all who write their exams yet has not said this.
There has been no problem ever since we started supplying to schools, which have been writing without any incident.
Unless ZIMSEC said we were not meeting the demand or supplying substandard teams, we could understand. But what is their reason for wanting to supply?.
That would be acceptable unless there are sensitive materials, such as slides, where ZIMSEC does not want a leak. Will ZIMSEC be able to meet the demands of every school in the country, knowing ZIMSEC and our country?
Exam time is when most companies benefit because schools don’t buy much during the year and buy in bulk for exams. Someone wants to make money because shutting us out is not a fair deal.
However, ZIMSEC spokesperson Nicky Dlamini, defended the move, saying it is meant to safeguard the integrity of the examinations. She said:
ZIMSEC is saying we’re supplying examination material, the same way in the same way it is the only one supplying question papers. The chemicals we are supplying pertain to our examination as ZIMSEC.
This is for standardisation purposes as well as to increase the security measures that come with our examination.
This is because the exams are a security exercise and there are issues to do with malpractice that we have been fighting for a very long time. I’m sure you would understand what has been happening with examinations.
It has nothing to do with business and everything to do with the integrity of the examination system.
Stakeholders on the market who feel prejudiced are more than welcome to come to us so we can explain to them.
ZIMSEC is a parastatal that is in charge of examinations. These are part of measures put in place to curb examination malpractices.
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