Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
TWO men who dreamed of marching in army boots found themselves marching straight into trouble after presenting fake O-level certificates to the Zimbabwe National Army.
Takudzwa Maphosa (21) and Prosper Chikakase (20) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Maxwell Ncube facing charges of tendering forged academic documents to a prospective employer. Their dreams of wearing the uniform crashed instantly.
The magistrate sentenced each of them to 12 months’ imprisonment. Six months were suspended on condition they do not commit a similar offence in the next five years. The remaining six months were set aside on condition they perform 210 hours of community service.
In passing sentence, the court said while the duo was young and had pleaded guilty, their actions were reckless and undermined the integrity of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council. The magistrate noted that their scam could have led to the recruitment of unqualified personnel into the army, potentially compromising national security.
The court heard that on 8 October, Takudzwa boldly walked into Imbizo Barracks waving his “O-level pass slip” with confidence. But seasoned recruiters immediately sensed something was off. They verified the results with Zimsec and the truth detonated like a landmine. The certificate was fake.
Before the dust settled, Prosper was exposed too. He had applied earlier in the year and in September Zimsec confirmed that his results were forged as well.
Zimsec official Patience Ganya reported both cases to the police, leading to the swift arrest of the pair. Their attempt to cheat their way into the army has now earned them a different kind of drill.
Bongani Ndlovu