JSC says servers remain secure

H-Metro Reporter

THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has dismissed as misleading information being peddled by Twitter handle Team Pachedu.

Team Pachedu claimed that the JSC server was left open and the developer, one Kudzanai Machemedze, was milking the commission using a company known as Da-Radar, owned by his relative, Tofara Machemedze.

In a statement, JSC head of corporate affairs, Daniel Nemukuyu, said the information being shared was false and posted by intruders seeking to spin their malicious narrative.

“The information purported to have been accessed on the JSC website by ‘Team Pachedu’ has not been accessed from official information on the JSC website, but has been posted by ill-meaning intruders to spin their malicious narrative.

“The contents of that information are patently false and meant to mislead members of the public.

“The JSC has since launched full-scale investigations into the unauthorised intrusion into its website,” reads the JSC statement.

Nemukuyu said Machemedze was never employed by JSC.

“He was studying towards a BSc Information Systems Honours Degree with the Midlands State University and he applied for industrial attachment with the JSC on 5 May 2021.

“He was on attachment as a student with the JSC from May 2021 to November 2021.

“He was a student on training, he therefore did not have capacity at all to design or build websites, let alone being involved in JSC procurement processes,” said Nemukuyu.

He added:

“During the Covid-19 era there were travel restrictions imposed by the Government to contain, combat and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“For ease of travel, members of the Judicial Service Commission were issued with letters which they would produce to the authorities.

“These letters were given in hard copy form and were never posted on the JSC website because they are not part of the regular information shared on the public domain by the JSC.

“While we are unable to confirm whether or not one such letter was issued to Mr Machemedze during his time of attachment, we are certain that no such letters were ever posted on our website as alleged,”

The JSC also said Machemedze had no capacity to execute such types of tasks.

“The quotations and billing invoices which are being attributed to the JSC by Team Pachedu were allegedly issued in 2020.

“Without admitting that they are genuine, these documents were issued well before Kudzanai Machemedze started his industrial attachment with the JSC in May 2021.

“In any case, Kudzanai Machemedze was never engaged by the JSC as a software developer, neither did he participate in building the JSC website. “He was a student on training, he therefore did not have the capacity to execute such a task as alleged.

“The Judicial Service Commission never procured any services for cyber security as alleged.

“Even if it did, the Judicial Service Commission follows laid down procurement processes, which do not involve assigning students on attachment to do procurement on its behalf.”

JSC has assured members of the public that its servers are secure.