The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) hasn’t yet paid the owners of vehicles hired to transport 2023 examination papers, five months after they rendered their services, reported NewsDay.
The vehicles were hired through the government’s Central Mechanical and Equipment Department (CMED) at a rate of US$152 per day.
They ferried examination papers for Grade Seven, Ordinary and Advanced levels to various centres across Zimbabwe.
Vehicle owners who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity said that they rendered services for up to 30 days but were informed that CMED had not received the funds from ZIMSEC to pay them.
The money was to be paid in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.
Contacted for comment by NewsDay, ZIMSEC spokesperson Nicholette Dlamini said CMED received the funds and “would continue to receive the funds”. She added:
How or who they pay after we have remitted is not under ZIMSEC’s purview. CMED and Zimsec are parastatals which are engaged in ongoing business partnerships.
However, CMED spokesperson Tarisai Muzorori said they have received part of the payment for the service rendered to ZIMSEC. She said:
We have a solid working relationship with our support services and all our operations are done transparently.
Every business agreement we enter into with our stakeholders is bound by a contractual agreement that we honour to the satisfaction of the parties involved.
We have a good working relationship with ZIMSEC and any other State enterprise through our reputable and unmatched quality service provision.
CMED has received part payment for the service rendered to ZIMSEC. However, the money was disbursed to the support service providers according to the portion received.
We promise our support service providers to settle our obligation at the earliest possible time once we receive the final payment.
ZIMSEC introduced a new exam delivery strategy to distribute materials to exam centres on the day the examination is to be written to prevent leaks.
However, some schools and colleges received the materials late, causing delays and anxiety for candidates, with examinations starting later than scheduled.
More: Pindula News