Harare City Mayor Jacob Mafume testified before the Commission of Inquiry into governance issues at Harare City Council, revealing that some councillors and council executives are conspiring to block the purchase of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
An ERP system is software designed to manage and integrate the core business processes of an organisation. These processes include finance, human resources, supply chain, manufacturing, services, procurement, and others.
The City of Harare has been operating without an ERP system for the past six years. ERP systems provide a centralised platform where data from various departments can be accessed and shared, allowing for improved coordination, efficiency, and decision-making.
During his appearance before the Commission, Mafume said the absence of an ERP system has led to widespread theft within the council. Said Mafume:
<blockquote>
I cannot provide exact figures because management has ensured that no audits have been conducted at the council since 2019.
However, we have anecdotal evidence. Millions are paid out in duplicate payments, and some ratepayers’ fees are being waived.
We estimate losses of around US$10 million per year. The City Council has been haemorrhaging funds.
</blockquote>
Harare City Council has not been able to audit its accounts for over five years, raising serious concerns about corporate governance at Town House.
Mafume further revealed that top officials at the council have formed a corruption cartel, profiting from the ongoing disarray. He claimed:
<blockquote>
The Harare City Council Executive has obstructed my efforts to implement a functional ERP system.
I have made every effort to get the ERP system installed. Instead, I’ve been accused of interference.
But I’ve done everything humanly possible to make it happen. We cannot function properly without an ERP system.
This is a deliberate act by our procurement department and management. They do not want the ERP system implemented.
</blockquote>
This story was contributed by Munashe Chokodza

Pindula News

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume said some councillors and executives are stopping the city from getting a system to help manage its money. The system would save them money and stop theft. The city has lost $10 million each year because of this. The mayor tried to get the system, but other people stopped him. They haven't checked their accounts for more than five years, which is very worrying. Top officials are making money from this chaos. The mayor is trying his best to fix the problem, but others are not cooperating. This is a big problem for the city.

Harare Loses US$10 Million Annually Due To Leakages, Says Mayor

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has increased security measures to prevent leaks of public examination papers.
As the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) prepares to commence Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations this month, authorities aim to avoid the issues of paper leaks that have plagued previous exam sessions.
According to Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro, new security protocols include delivering exam papers to schools with compromised security just minutes before the exams begin.
Cluster centres have been established at schools with robust security infrastructure to securely store examination papers, ensuring their safe distribution to nearby schools on exam day.
Moreover, real-time monitoring will be implemented, with ZIMSEC dispatching monitors to all examination centers to detect and prevent any potential leaks. Said Ndoro (via <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/zimsec-upgrades-examinations-security/">The Herald</a>):
<blockquote>
We have enhanced security around examination processes and we are very confident that they will be written without any glitches, incidents or issues across the country. We can even say that the ZIMSEC exams are now more secure than those of Cambridge.
The Grade 7 examinations were conducted and completed successfully without any incident and we expect the same when it comes to the O and A level examinations.
Some of the measures that have been put in place are that ZIMSEC monitors have been deployed to all centres across the country to ensure adequate measures informed by the ZIMSEC standards are adhered to.
In terms of transport and storage of the examination material, firstly the papers are transported to provinces, districts and then cluster centres and from cluster centres they will be transported to the examination centre on the day of the exam.
When we say a cluster centre we mean a school with better security infrastructure within a certain area, that means a cluster centre in rural areas might cover up to 10 or more schools but in urban areas, a cluster will cover maybe two schools.
The morning paper will be transported in the morning and collected soon after, while the afternoon paper will be transported in the afternoon and collected the same day. The expenses will be catered for by the examination fees.
</blockquote>
This year marked the final examinations for learners under the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA).
Starting next year, students will be assessed based on a new heritage-based curriculum, which emphasizes five pathways: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), visual and performing arts, technical and vocational education and training, humanities, and commercials.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe is taking new steps to stop exam paper leaks. Security measures include delivering papers to schools just before exams start and setting up secure centers to store exam papers. ZIMSEC will also send monitors to all exam centers to prevent any leaks. The Grade 7 exams went well with these measures. From next year, students will be graded based on a new curriculum focusing on STEM, arts, vocational education, humanities, and commerce. This year's exams are the last for Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) students.

ZIMSEC Adopts New Measures To Prevent Exam Paper Leaks

The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) says there were no examination paper leakages during the June 2024 public exam sittings.
The ZIMSEC mid-year public examinations took place from May 27 to June 21, 2024.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/no-exam-paper-leakages-during-june-exams">The Sunday Mail</a>, ZIMSEC public relations manager Nicky Dhlamini-Moyo said that over 32,000 candidates wrote the exams.
Dhlamini-Moyo attributed the lack of paper leakages to a combination of tight security measures around the distribution and storage of the exam materials, as well as the introduction of stiff penalties for offenders, which had deterred such malpractices. She said:
<blockquote>
The June examinations ran well, with the help of our parent ministry, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, school administrations, the national law-enforcement agencies and all stakeholders.
We did not encounter any incidents where candidates had pre-access to examination question papers in the June 2024 examination session.
For the June 2024 examinations, 144 candidates registered for the Advanced Level tests, while 32,049 candidates sat the Ordinary Level tests.
The integrity of examinations is of vested interest to all Zimbabweans. ZIMSEC has put in place various measures, which include the daily delivery of question papers to cluster centres.
We are grateful to all stakeholders and the nation as a whole for the support in keeping the examinations secure.
</blockquote>
Exam paper leakages have been a recurring issue for ZIMSEC in previous years, with the examination body and school authorities often blaming each other for the breaches.
For example, in the November 2022 exam cycle, over 100 students, teachers, and members of the public were arrested for alleged involvement in exam paper leaks.
However, Dhlamini-Moyo’s comments suggest that ZIMSEC has taken decisive action to address the issue, through enhanced security measures and stricter penalties.
The lack of any reported leakages during the June 2024 exams indicates that these efforts may have been effective in curbing the problem.
It remains to be seen whether ZIMSEC can sustain this improved track record going forward.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

No Exam Paper Leakages During June Exams - ZIMSEC

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched an investigation to determine how an internal memorandum directed to police commanders over harmonised elections was leaked to the media and the public.
In a statement released on Monday, ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations have commenced to identify the culprit who leaked the memorandum and the motive behind it. Said Nyathi:
<blockquote>
The ZRP has taken note of an internal memorandum directed to Police commanders from Commander 2023 harmonised elections which was leaked to the media.
The ZRP advises the public and the media that the leaked memorandum was a communication guide that was meant for police commanders, not for public or media consumption.
We do not condone leakage of internal memoranda by unruly elements within the system.
The ZRP is now conducting investigations with the view of identifying the culprit and finding the motive behind it.
</blockquote>
According to the leaked memo, provincial police commanders were instructed to allow opposition political parties to hold their rallies.
Police headquarters sent the memorandum to officers commanding police provinces and officers commanding the Support Unit, directing them that if they had objections, to consult their superiors before blocking opposition political events.
The memo was copied to the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Director of Police Intelligence, and police chiefs.
This comes as the Officer Commanding Bindura District blocked the country’s main opposition party, CCC, from holding its campaign launch in Bindura on Sunday.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Police Investigate Internal Memo Leak

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has rubbished claims by Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo, that school authorities working in cahoots with police were responsible for the leakage of public examination papers.
In 2022, some candidates had access to Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) English Language and Mathematics examination papers several days before they were written.
Speaking during the question and answer session in the Senate on 29 March, Moyo said investigations by the Ministry of Education established that the exam leaks happen at schools. He said:
<blockquote>
We also have the police officers who are there and when these papers are being removed from the strong room to the classroom for invigilation, it is not one person who takes those papers.
The whole system is water-tight in terms of security. We have integrity issues with some of our personnel at the school level and where the papers leaked, there was a kind of working together in cahoots by officials at the school.
When people agree and connive to do a crime, usually they will succeed because there is no one who is going to let the cat out of the bag.
</blockquote>
Responding to Moyo’s remarks, ARTUZ said marking schemes and soft copies of the examination papers were leaked on social media platforms, yet schools were never in possession of the documents. ARTUZ said in a statement:
Moyo lied to Senate that exams leak at the School level. We saw marking schemes in circulation. Do schools receive marking schemes?
We saw soft copies of exam papers. Do schools receive soft copies? Our policy brief on exam leakages is accurate.
Last year, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/school-heads-blame-zimsec-for-exam-leakages/">the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) pointed at ZIMSEC as the main source of the problem</a>, rather than schools.
According to <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/police-suspect-zimsec-head-office-is-the-source-of-exam-leakages/">a leaked police memorandum, dated 19 October 2022</a>, police said they suspected the soft copies of the papers are leaked by someone at the ZIMSEC head office in Harare.
Last year, 5 156 Advanced and Ordinary level candidates’ results were nullified for having pre-access to examination papers.
The A-Level results were released on 13 January with ZIMSEC withholding results for 195 candidates while the ‘O’ Level ones, where results for 4 961 candidates were nullified.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Schools Not Responsible For Exam Leakages - ARTUZ

The Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo has absolved the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) of complicity in the leakage of examination papers.
Speaking during the question and answer session in the Senate on 29 March, Moyo said school authorities working in cahoots with police officers were responsible for the leakage of examinations. The <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/schools-connive-with-police-to-leak-exams-minister/">Chronicle</a> quoted Moyo as saying:
<blockquote>
We also have the police officers who are there and when these papers are being removed from the strong room to the classroom for invigilation, it is not one person who takes those papers.
The whole system is water-tight in terms of security. We have integrity issues by some of our personnel at the school level and where the papers leaked, there was a kind of working together in cahoots by officials at the school.
When people agree and connive to do a crime, usually they will succeed because there is no one who is going to let the cat out of the bag.
</blockquote>
Moyo said the process of producing an exam paper starts at ZIMSEC offices and is automated. He said:
<blockquote>
Our papers are developed by paper developers and then they are put into what is called a grade maker, which system banks the questions and which system uses random pick up of question papers.
There is no interface between the question papers and human beings. All those things are automated.
Then the transfer of those papers from ZIMSEC head office to our Norton printing press is done technologically and there is again no human interface. It is wired to the machines.
Those machines are just feeding codes and then the paper is run and again there is no interface until the paper is packed.
People will be just watching and papers will just be rolling. They are being cut, and packaged and the whole system would have been set, then the papers will go out.
The only interface is when those papers are then put into boxes to be delivered to schools.
… If you look at what happened last year, you will find that the leaks of those papers did not occur anywhere between head office, printing and delivery of papers to the centres.
The evidence that we have is that the papers leaked when they were at school.
</blockquote>
Moyo also said most of the exam leaks occur at schools run by acting headmasters, who have nothing to protect. He said:
<blockquote>
It is happening in the sense that in most of those schools where we have paper leaks, the personnel there are usually acting heads of schools and not substantive heads.
We have been talking to PSC to ensure that most of our heads are graded to substantive level so that they have something to protect.
Those who are just acting have nothing to protect and they just let go of things.
</blockquote>
Last year, 5 156 Advanced and Ordinary level candidates’ results were nullified for having pre-access to examination papers.
In February this year, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Evelyn Ndlovu said the Government intends to appoint an Independent Commission of Inquiry to assess whether ZIMSEC is doing the right thing or they are leaking the examination papers.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Schools, Police Officers Responsible For Exam Leakages - Minister

Teacher unions have urged parents of Ordinary Level students whose results were nullified to sue the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC).
ZIMSEC released the 2022 O’ Level examinations on Friday last week  but withheld the results of almost 5 000 candidates across the country for alleged cheating.
Mukaro High School in Masvingo province is reportedly the worst affected school after the entire school’s O Level results were nullified.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200007089/more-troubles-brew-for-zimsec">NewsDay</a>, Educators Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Tapedza Zhou said parents must sue ZIMSEC for nullifying their children’s results. He said:
<blockquote>
We have been representing teachers, but we are urging parents to sue ZIMSEC. We have not witnessed something like this since Zimbabwe’s independence and during the Rhodesian era.
Almost 5 000 results were nullified, it’s a joke. ZIMSEC has put the name of the country into disrepute and our academic credentials will likely be undermined.
We don’t condone corruption and we don’t condone examination leakages, but the teachers we are representing are underpaid and they are the markers. If action is not taken, there will be more leakages this year.
</blockquote>
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said:
<blockquote>
The withdrawal of results for almost 2% of the candidates doesn’t eliminate the risk of fake evaluation outcomes.
That punishes poor parents who religiously pay education fees. These parents have no mandate to secure examinations and ZIMSEC is solely to blame for this.
</blockquote>
ZIMSEC spokesperson Nicky Dlamini told NewsDay that concerned parents and candidates who had their results nullified should approach their schools first. She said:
<blockquote>
Affected students must approach their respective schools before approaching ZIMSEC.
</blockquote>

Teacher Unions Urge Parents To Sue ZIMSEC Over Nullified Results

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. | <a href="https://www.bmetro.co.zw/exam-cheat-spared-jail-agony/">B-Metro</a>

Court Orders Exam Cheat To Perform 105 Hours Of Unpaid Service

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZTA) secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said that the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) 2022 Ordinary Level examinations should be rewritten to preserve the credibility of the examinations.
ZIMSEC told Parliament last year that about 590 suspects were caught cheating while sitting for November 2022 Ordinary and Advanced Level final examinations.
Speaking to NewsDay, Taderera said ZIMSEC should arrange for the examinations to be rewritten in order to address the widespread leakage. Said Taderera:
<blockquote>
Everything is falling apart now. We have always red-flagged the ZIMSEC malpractices.
It has actually been going on for years. We have heard learners doing 20 subjects with flying colours and we have been suspicious.
Now this year, we had evidence of learners who had access to the papers before they sat for the examination.
That was enough reason for ZIMSEC to arrange for rewriting of the examinations to restore its integrity as an examinations body.
Rewriting is the only fair way to address the malpractice.
</blockquote>
However, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education chairperson Torerai Moyo, said it is too late for ZIMSEC to run a rewrite. Moyo said:
<blockquote>
ZIMSEC is investigating the leakages through the marking process which would determine the extent of the cheating.
If there is a pattern of uniformity in the answers by pupils, as reported by the examiners, then there is proof of cheating. But I think it is too late for ZIMSEC to run a rewrite.
The bottom line is ZIMSEC should be accountable for how it runs the examinations.
One way is to amend the Act that governs how examinations are run to give room for stiffer penalties for cheating.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200005729/zimsec-marking-schemes-leaked-before-exams">NewsDay</a>

Teachers' Union Says ZIMSEC 2022 O' Level Exams Should Be Rewritten

The leakage of Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary Level examinations appears to have been unprecedented in the country in 2022 as candidates had access to marking schemes before they sat for their final examinations in October and November.
ZIMSEC markers who declined to be named for security reasons told NewsDay that there is irrefutable evidence that candidates had marking schemes before they wrote the exams.
Some candidates reproduced the marking schemes for some papers “word for word” in their answer sheets according to NewsDay’s sources.
At some examination centres in Harare, the majority of pupils reportedly got high marks of up to 100% for Combined Science Paper 2 and others. An examiner who requested anonymity was quoted by NewsDay as saying:
<blockquote>
Some pupils reproduced the marking scheme in their answers, even the codes that are put on the documents to guide the markers, which the candidates did not know the meaning of.
It was clear that cheating occurred because some would write answers exactly as they were on the marking scheme but on the wrong question.
It is possible that every pupil in class can get an answer right, but not when the answer is the same in verbatim for a sentence. It is impossible unless they are copying from somewhere.
</blockquote>
ZIMSEC spokesperson Nichollette Dlamini said a comprehensive report will be published once investigations into the leakage of examinations are completed. She said:
<blockquote>
As reported to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee by our directorate and MoPSE [Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education], the marking activity was part of the measures to find those candidates who may or are suspected to have been involved in examination malpractice.
The comprehensive report and results, including those of other investigations, will be published at the completion of the exercise.
</blockquote>
Towards the end of last year, ZIMSEC officials told Parliament that about 590 suspects were caught cheating while sitting for November 2022 Ordinary and Advanced Level final examinations. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200005729/zimsec-marking-schemes-leaked-before-exams">NewsDay</a>

ZIMSEC Marking Schemes Leaked Before Exams | Report

Teachers’ unions have blamed the “structural and ethical decay” at the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC), and bad leadership in the government for recurring examination leakages.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said poor salaries are pushing ZIMSEC workers to engage in corrupt practices. Said Masaraure:
<blockquote>
The ZIMSEC exam papers scandal is a reflection of the structural and ethical decay developing in our education system as a result of bad salaries and leadership in both government and the education sector.
Bad salaries breed desperate workers, who then resort to corruption as a way to survive.
</blockquote>
Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) president, Takavafira Zhou, said ZIMSEC has lost all credibility. He said:
<blockquote>
The credibility of the ZIMSEC board is now in tatters. There is a clear lack of professionalism.
We want all children to write examinations which haven’t been leaked so that we measure their real potential.
</blockquote>
So far this year, two papers; Mathematics Paper 1 and English Paper 2 for Ordinary Level have leaked.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) revealed that so far eleven cases of exam leakages have been reported throughout the country. | <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/teachers-blame-poor-salaries-leadership-crisis-for-zimsec-exam-papers-leak/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

Teachers' Unions Blame "Structural And Ethical Decay" For Exam Leakages

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has vowed to investigate the source of examination leakages of Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) papers over the years.
Police suspect the soft copies of the papers are leaked by someone at the ZIMSEC head office in Harare.
Almost every year, the Maths and English papers are leaked, and ZIMSEC has lost integrity as a result.
ZIMSEC recently issued a statement confirming the leakage of the Ordinary Level Mathematics Paper 1 that was written on 18 October 2022.
The examinations management body added that some candidates who had pre-access to the question paper had been identified.
In a leaked police memorandum, dated 19 October 2022, a candidate at Bikita Fashu High School was seen with an English Paper 2 question paper with answers that he was copying during the English paper two examination which was running between 0900hrs and 1100hrs on the 19th of October 2022.
The school head reported the matter to the police and further investigations established that the candidate had also received a soft copy of a suspected Mathematics Paper. The memo reads in part:
<blockquote>
It appears this year’s ZIMSEC examinations are seriously leaked and it appears the source is in Harare and chances are high that the leakages are from ZIMSEC offices in Harare. Action should be taken on ZIMSEC head offices where the soft copies originate.
Pamushana High School has a long history of leaking examinations and the source, Chimbodzikai village Chief Marozva Bikita is near Pamushana High School.
</blockquote>

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