Exam leak: Head granted bail

Midlands Correspondent
THE headmistress of Njeremoto Secondary School in Zhombe, Vimbai Manaka (39), who is facing a charge of criminal abuse of office for allegedly leaking two Ordinary Level examination papers, was yesterday granted $100 bail by Gweru magistrate, Ms Sithembiso Ncube.
Manaka, whose school in Zhombe, Kwekwe is believed to be the source of the leak, is jointly charged with five teachers, namely Bonaventure Mungwiro (42) from Manunure High in Kwekwe, his Brother Berbnadino (40) from Munyati High in Kwekwe, William Gondo, director of W Boom Private College in Gweru, Michael Kutama(50), and  Lloyd Mpofu, both from Chirodzo Private College in Mbizo, Kwekwe.

Manaka was remanded to 18 December while his five accomplices who are already out on bail will be back in court on 13 December.
For the State, Ms Helen Khosa told the court that on 3 November, Manaka in her capacity as the headmistress of Njeremoto Secondary,received ‘O’ Level Geography and Integrated Science public examination Papers Two and locked them in a school safe which was kept at her homestead.

The court heard that between 3 and 11 November, Manaka opened the two papers and copied the questions on plain papers using long hand before she attempted to re-seal the envelope.

Ms Khosa said Manaka proceeded to sell copies of the hand written questions to Mpofu at Chirodzo Private College who in turn went on to sell the papers to  the other four co-accused.

The court heard that on 16 November, police received a tip-off from members of the public that Gondo of W Booms College in Gweru  had two leaked papers in his vehicle.

The police raided the vehicle  and recovered the two copies of the leaked papers.
Ms Khosa said  when police arrested Manaka, the suspected source of the leaked papers, they also discovered that the envelope of the original Integrated Science Paper Two had been opened.

The examination questions on the Geography Paper Two and Integrated Science Paper Two, were exactly similar to the copied long written questions.