Zimsec withholds O-Level results

Pamela Shumba and Marvellous Moyo Chronicle Reporters—
EIGHT schools from Matabeleland North Province were forced to pay examination fees for Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) beneficiaries after the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) withheld their 2014 O-Level results. This comes after a recent report that more than $2 million meant for education assistance under the Beam facility was left unused owing to bungling by some school authorities, prejudicing thousands of poor pupils.

Binga High School, Somvubu, Amandlethu, St Paul, Magama, Dikili, Dibutibu and Zibumbululu Secondary Schools received their results late after Zimsec demanded full payment of examination fees.

The examination body withheld results for all pupils under Beam over fees owed.

Headmasters yesterday said they had to run around to look for the outstanding fees, while others used their personal money to pay the fees after Zimsec insisted that they would not get the results without paying.

Matabeleland North provincial education director Boithatelo Mnguni confirmed the challenges in the schools accessing results for their Beam beneficiaries.

“Eight schools in my province were told to pay their examination fees in full before they could collect their results. One of the schools’ head told me that the candidates who owed examination fees were Beam beneficiaries.

“When I received the results for the schools in my province, I realised that some schools were missing. I then phoned the Binga High headmaster, who confirmed that he had not collected his results.”

Mnguni, however, said by end of day yesterday, all the schools had paid the outstanding fees and collected their results.

“Some school heads had to use their own money to pay the fees because they could not travel all the way back to their schools without the results.

“It’s not fair to the schools because the money is not supposed to be paid by them but by the government. It’s also not fair to the pupils who paid their examination fees,” she said.

Zimsec public relations director, Nicollete Dlamini, yesterday confirmed that some schools from Matabeleland North were told to pay outstanding examination fees before collecting their results.

The Beam facility has reportedly been abused over the years, with several undeserving pupils, including children of rich people, benefitting ahead of vulnerable and orphaned children.

According to a 2014 audit report compiled by Auditor-General, Mildred Chiri, on management of education assistance through Beam, the then Minister of Labour and Social Services, Paurina Mupariwa, (MDC-T) failed to properly supervise the donor funds resulting in the abuse and failure to fully utilise the fund.

Chiri noted that from 2009 to 2012, of the $45 million funds made available, $43 million was utilised leaving $2 million dormant, a situation which saw donors retaining their money.

She said Mupariwa, who was minister during the inclusive government days, failed to properly supervise the donor funds resulting in the abuse and failure to fully utilise the fund.

It was noted that if the unutilised balance for 2009 and 2010 had been claimed by primary schools in rural areas charging $15 per term, 9,670 and 35,693 children would have benefited for the two years respectively.

Another anomaly noted by the audit was the failure to submit attendance registers for pupils to the Project Management Unit (PMU) by those schools with beneficiaries after every term. There was also no monitoring and evaluation of Beam by the PMU.

Meanwhile, candidates who sat for their O-Level Examinations at Sibhula Secondary School in Gwanda North started collecting their results from the school after the national examinations council released them despite failure to clear the debt.

The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) had allegedly withheld the results of the school’s 33 O-Level candidates over a $250 debt accrued by the school in 2009, demanding it to be cleared first.

Zimsec officials in Harare had denied ever withholding the results and turning away the school’s headmaster, Bukhosi Madlela, over the debt.

Madlela, however, confirmed that he was turned away without the results by Zimsec officials at the Gwanda offices on Monday.

Parents of the 2014 candidates yesterday confirmed their children had started collecting their results.

They also revealed that the school head had informed them that he managed to pay $80 to Zimsec leaving the debt at $170.

The parents said the headmaster had indicated that there were some well wishers that had shown interest in helping the school clear the remaining $170 so that a similar problem does not occur in future.

Madlela could not be reached for comment.

Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director Tumisang Thabela could neither confirm nor deny the release of the results.

She said they had indicated in a meeting held with Zimsec officials on Wednesday that the body should ensure that all schools accessed their results.

“We did indicate that Zimsec should facilitate that all schools get their results,” said Thabela.