Police have arrested two suspects in separate incidents of exam fraud after they were caught sitting for Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary Level papers on behalf of other candidates.
In the first case, 26-year-old Brighton Chinhenga was arrested at Mukondomi Secondary School in Buhera on 13 October 2025 after being caught attempting to sit for the Mathematics Paper 1 examination on behalf of another candidate.
In a similar incident the following day, ZRP officers in Magwegwe, Bulawayo, arrested 32-year-old Mavis Phiri at Masotsha High School in Magwegwe North. She was caught trying to write the Science Paper 1 examination for her sister.
Exam impersonation and other forms of examination malpractice are a recurring concern in Zimbabwe.
In June 2025, Fidelis Chipungu, a 20-year-old man from Zvishavane, was found guilty by the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court after posing as Hilton Malunga to write the ZIMSEC Mathematics Paper 1 at George Chipadza Secondary School on 26 May 2025.
Chipungu used Malunga’s national identity card to gain unauthorised access to the examination room, successfully sitting for the paper under the false identity.
The fraud came to light shortly after the exam ended, when school officials summoned Chipungu to the Deputy Headmaster’s office for questioning.
Chipungu confessed to the offence. The exam invigilator promptly reported the matter to the police, leading to Chipungu’s arrest.
The Magistrate sentenced Chipungu to two months in prison, but the sentence was wholly suspended on the condition that he performs 70 hours of community service.
In delivering judgment, the court noted the seriousness of the offence and its potential to undermine the credibility of national examinations, but also considered Chipungu’s age and early admission of guilt.
