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Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
Imagine a school’s computers showing nothing, but rows of ones and zeros each time you open a document or try to use it.
Behind that mischief was a miffed 19-year-old who decided to use his knowledge to prove a point for a perceived provocative response to his enquiry.
After losing his computer studies project, Billy Rwodzi decided to corrupt the operating system on the school’s computers.
Billy was sniffed out and suspended from Kawondera High School in Zvimba communal lands for his misdemeanour.
“I regretted what I did, but at the time I was not happy because of losing my project which had taken me a long time to prepare,” Billy said remorsefully.
“It was immaturity that got the best of me at the time. On reflection, such knowledge and talent should be used for the greater good.”
The incident occurred in 2022 when Billy, who came up with many innovations, including a remote-controlled irrigation system that uses a cellphone to switch it on and off, was in Form 4.
He was doing computer studies on Microsoft packages and as part of his practical exam, he was expected to open Microsoft Word, and Excel and demonstrate how they are used and saved.
“I then discovered that the files had disappeared and was desperate to recover them,” he explained.
“I then asked my teacher how I could recover the documents and in response, she asked why I had not saved the project.”
This angered him and he decided to corrupt the school computers. “It was a stupid thing to do. I got into the system and opened folders in the software, the operating system, where it is coded.
“I removed sentences and in some cases added full stops. This resulted in all the computers displaying everything in the form of numbers. Even when you open documents, they would only show numbers. It was only binary numbers 1 and 0.”
It did not take long for school authorities to establish that it was Billy who had corrupted the system and he was suspended.
School head Mrs Gertrude Chibaya confirmed the suspension, saying the act was not driven by malice, but by youthful exuberance and curiosity as the school had just received the computers.
A team from nearby Chinhoyi University of Technology was called in to fix the computers. They were curious to meet the person who had disturbed the system.
“The team came and they were interested in knowing who had corrupted the system,” he recounted.
From that time, Billy has grown and undertaken various projects, including a remote-controlled detonator which he hopes will be adopted in mines to ensure safe detonation of explosives.
He has also developed a remote-controlled circuit breaker which also relies on a cellphone.
“All my systems are centred on the cellphone and use radio waves. At first, I had challenges of penetrating networks but eventually, I was able to work around it,” he said.
“I have also developed a circuit with a computer remote access system which allows machine-to-machine messaging where you can send a command that opens a computer remotely.”
Cases of such genius that get people into trouble.
In 2020, a CUT student manipulated the university’s examination results database and altered his results and those of seven others.
Tatenda Christopher Chinyamakobvu (20), who was a Level 2.2 Information and Technology student, faced eight counts of hacking.
“He altered results for courses he had his colleagues had failed and got paid by his accomplices for the service. The escapade was discovered, leading to his arrest.
Upon his arrest, he led police to the recovery of an Itel P33 cellphone, which he used to access the examination results server and a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop that he used to forge the results while staying in New Canaan, Highfield, Harare.
The great philosopher Aristotle once said “No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness” and sometimes it takes some provocation for flaws of genius to manifest.
The little demons of genius often see brilliant minds being used for bad things.
Ironically, Billy is now servicing the computers at the school.
Online Reporter