Zambian poll candidate under Zimsec probe

Bulawayo Bureau
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 electionsscheduled 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 are aware of it and all they wanted was to know if he really had some certificates from here. If a person studied at 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 are our client and not Mr Mwamba,” said Ms Dlamini.

The probe into the validity of Mr Mwamba’s credentials 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.”

Mr Mwamba challenged the PF government to “arrest” him if it felt he forged certificates and denied submitting academic papers from Zimbabwe.