50-Year-Old Man Gets Community Service For Forging ZIMSEC Certificates For Gift Banda

A 50-year-old man who forged Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) certificates for prominent businessman and politician Gift Banda has been convicted and sentenced to 420 hours of community service.

Anele Sipho Zikhali, from the Claremont suburb, had been out on bail for the past two years. He was not asked to plead when he first appeared at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court two years ago.

Zikhali eventually appeared before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Temba Chimiso last Friday and pleaded guilty to all three counts of forgery.

The magistrate sentenced him to 18 months in prison, but suspended six months on condition that he commits no similar offence within five years.

The remaining 12 months were also suspended on condition that he completes 420 hours of community service at Waterford Primary School.

Zikhali, who has been represented by more than four lawyers over the case, was assisted on the day of sentencing by Simbarashe Innocent Madzivire of Mashayamombe Company and Attorneys.

In mitigation, Madzivire called Zikhali’s wife to the stand; she told the court they have five children and that Zikhali is their sole breadwinner. She added that she does not work, and she and the children rely entirely on him for survival. She added:

“If he is given a custodial sentence, the children will drop out of school, and we will all suffer.”

Madzivire also pleaded for leniency, arguing that Zikhali had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, sparing the court time and resources, and that he was a first-time offender.

In aggravation, prosecutor Samuel Mpofu argued that a fine or community service would trivialise the offence.

He stressed that ZIMSEC documents, being state papers, are used to perpetrate such forgery, damaging the council’s reputation. Added Mpofu:

“Moreover, the conduct of the accused discredits our education system. Citizens who fail their Ordinary Levels are being assisted by people like Zikhali to acquire forged ZIMSEC certificates.

“I pray for a custodial sentence to send a message to like-minded people.”

The court heard that sometime in 2024, in Claremont, Bulawayo, Zikhali forged a ZIMSEC O-Level certificate for Banda, falsely showing that he had sat the exams in November 1986.

Detectives from the Police Anti-Corruption Unit (PACU) received a tip-off and swooped on him, leading to his arrest.

Prosecutor Mpofu said that, upon Zikhali’s arrest, officers recovered the O-Level certificate along with an Itel mobile phone and an HP laptop—the devices he had used to commit the crime.

Banda could not be tried because a key witness, who was supposed to testify, was too ill to attend court. The case was therefore taken off remand.

More: Chronicle