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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
FIVE Form Six pupils at Gebhuza Secondary School in Hwange who were arrested for sharing a leaked Economics Paper 3 question paper have been each sentenced to a wholly suspended 12 months in jail.
Initially, 15 pupils had been arrested and charged with revealing the contents of an examination material prior to the exam, unlawful access to examination material and engaging in fraud or dishonest conduct with regards to the exam.
They were all released on summons so that they could continue with their examinations and allow investigations to continue.
Five of them who are all above 18 years of age: Arthur Delight Chuma (20) of Number 2 Village, Nkosilomusa Sibanda (21), Albertina Mbebe (18), Tamika Dube (19) all of Ingagula and Keegan Mduduzi Chigubhu (18) of Empumalanga yesterday appeared in court to answer to a charge of contravening Section 35 (a) of the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council Act Chapter 25:18 “unlawful access to examination material.”
The Chronicle could not immediately establish if prosecutors are still pressing ahead with charges against the other 10 pupils.
Chuma, Sibanda, Mbebe, Dube and Chigubhu pleaded guilty to the charge when they appeared before Hwange magistrate, Ms Barbara Phiri.
They were sentenced to 12 months in jail each but the magistrate suspended the jail term with conditions.
Two months were suspended on condition they do not commit an offence of a similar nature within two years while the remaining 10 months were suspended on condition each completes 350 hours of community service at their school. They told the court that the question paper was posted in two WhatsApp groups which had members from across the country.—@ncubeleon
Online Reporter