A 49-year-old man from Lalapanzi has been fined US$300 by a magistrate for operating an unregistered private college.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that Munyaradzi Marufu appeared before the Mvuma Magistrates’ Court, where he faced charges for violating section 42(1)(a) in conjunction with section 42(3) of the Education Act, Chapter 25:04.
This law prohibits the establishment, operation, or maintenance of unregistered correspondence colleges and independent colleges, as well as certain related advertisements. Said the NPA:
The accused person was charged with unlawfully and illegally establishing, operating, or maintaining an independent college for a reward without being registered or approved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
It is alleged that on an unknown date between January 2023 and October 2024, at Lalapanzi, the accused person, Munyaradzi Marufu, unlawfully and illegally established, operated, or maintained “Restoration Academy,” an independent college, without being registered or approved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in contravention of the Act.
It is also alleged that the college was operating with approximately 140 to 150 students and 9 teachers teaching various subjects. The college is a high school with four classes: Form 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Marufu pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted. He was sentenced to pay a fine of US$300, with a four-month prison sentence imposed in the event of non-payment.
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