The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has expressed concerns that the proposed amendments to the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) Act will have little impact on the credibility issues and other challenges facing the country’s examination system.
In April this year, Cabinet approved the ZIMSEC Act [Chapter 28:18] (Amendment Bill, 2024) aimed at curbing exam leakages, registration irregularities, and fraudulent practices within the education sector.
The Bill proposes a custodial sentence of up to nine years for those convicted of leaking examinations.
Following its first reading in the National Assembly, the Amendment Bill is now awaiting public consultations.
If enacted, the law will empower ZIMSEC to de-register examination centres found to be non-compliant, many of which have been flagged for unethical conduct or failure to meet minimum operational standards.
During submissions to Parliament last Thursday, ZIMTA chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu acknowledged that the proposed amendments were long overdue but pointed out persistent gaps relating to security breaches, credibility concerns, governance weaknesses, and outdated legislative frameworks. He said:
The principal Act of 1994 has become increasingly misaligned with the contemporary demands of assessment credibility, governance accountability and international benchmarking.
However, while the Bill proposes commendable reforms, some areas require further strengthening and structural realignment to close systemic loopholes and improve functional resilience.
The Bill introduces a comprehensive and practical definition of “examination malpractice” (clause 2) and expands section 35 to encompass contemporary forms of academic dishonesty, including the use of smart devices, script tampering, and collusion at the examination centre level. Said Ndlovu:
Classify malpractice into tiers (minor, moderate, gross) with graduated penalties.
A blanket minimum sentence of two years may not reflect differentiated levels of misconduct or offender status.
Ndlovu said the Bill grants substantial power to the ZIMSEC board without adequate external oversight.
He argued that the absence of requirements for public reporting on annulments, investigations, or appeals, has contributed to public distrust due to ZIMSEC’s previous lack of transparency.
Ndlovu called for mandatory annual public disclosure of malpractice statistics, annulments, and disciplinary cases, as well as the establishment of an independent examination ombudsman to handle appeals and complaints.
In April 2025, a suspected leak of ZIMSECOrdinary and Advanced Level papers rocked the education sector, with over 900 candidates implicated in a WhatsApp-based fraud scheme.
The scandal led to the arrest of Tadiwanashe Frank Chiminya, a 23-year-old polytechnic student from Kwekwe, who allegedly created a group titled “June 2025 Zimsec Group and Exam Papers” to sell leaked papers.
Chiminya reportedly solicited payments via mobile money platforms, claiming to possess leaked exam papers.
ZIMSEC officials infiltrated the group and discovered communications that severely undermined the council’s reputation.
Police recovered multiple phones and SIM cards during his arrest, and ZIMSEC was forced to halt the printing of June exam papers to investigate possible internal collusion.
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