adminLeonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
A SENIOR Zambian opposition leader allegedly forged a Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Ordinary Level certificate and submitted it as part of requirements to contest in the neighbouring country’s presidential elections. The elections are scheduled for August 11 this year. The United Party for National Development (UPND) presidential candidate in the upcoming Zambia elections, Mr Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, who is deputy and running mate to UPND leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema, claimed he sat for O’Level examinations in Zimbabwe at a date that could not be ascertained.
His party is contesting against incumbent President Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front. Zimsec spokesperson Ms Nicky Dlamini confirmed to the Chronicle that the country’s examination body indeed wrote to ECZ but claimed that was procedural.
However, part of the examining body’s response seen by the Chronicle stated the Zambian’s certificate was forged. “Yes we’re aware of it and all they wanted was to know if he really had some certificates from here. If a person learnt in one of our colleges or schools and sat for Cambridge or Zimsec public examinations that’s the procedure … they would check,” said Ms Dlamini.
She couldn’t, however, be drawn into confirming whether Mr Mwamba really learnt in the country.
“That confirmation can be obtained from Zambia because they’re our client and not Mr Mwamba,” said Ms Dlamini.
The probe into the validity of Mr Mwamba’s attributes allegedly came after he included documents from Zimbabwe when he submitted qualifications for vetting into elections.
Mwanajiti and Associates, who oversee elections together with the Electoral Commission of Zambia, raised the issue.
“The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council has written to the Examination Council of Zambia to report UPND Presidential Running Mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba to Law enforcement agencies for suspected forgery.
“Mwanajiti and Associates director Ngande Mwanajiti told journalists in Lusaka that the forwarded documents appear to belong to Mr Mwamba and observed that the request made by the examination board in Zimbabwe should not be politicised but should instead be treated as a criminal matter with all fairness as it is a matter that has potential to negatively affect the governance of the country,” according to the Zambia Press.
Mr Mwamba challenged the PF government to “arrest” him if it felt he forged certificates and denied submitting academic papers from Zimbabwe, saying all his academic documents were from the United Kingdom.
The Chronicle saw part of the letter from Zimsec dated May 1, 2016, and signed by assistant director examination administration V T Mguni, stating that ECZ should, “report the above mentioned issue to the law enforcement agency in your country” as Mr Mwamba’s claims to have sat for “Ordinary Level examinations in November 1995 were forged.”
The Zambian media reported this week that Mr Mwamba is being investigated for allegedly forging certificates claiming he wrote Ordinary Level examinations in Zimbabwe.
derick.khumalo