College taken to court for withholding results

NINE Belvedere Teachers College students who were denied their results after sitting for the national diploma examinations on allegations of cheating have approached the High Court seeking the release of their results.

Linda Jembere, Virginia Mukamba, Lorraine Marembo, Lizzy Madziwa, Phildar K Chimbote, Abigail Nyamadzavo, Sheila Tigere, Kudakwashe Wamuka, Marilyn Marimira, Danai Rukwambaire have cited the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (Zimche) as respondent in their application.

The students allege that the respondent unilaterally withheld and refused to release their results for the national diploma examinations which the applicants sat for in November 2019.

They submitted that the basis of such refusal emanated from an allegation that the applicants cheated when they wrote the Internet and web Development (Practical) 553/15/S10B paper even though the examination rooms had invigilators, and no one was caught cheating either prior or during the examination.

The students are seeking an order for the unconditional release of their national diploma results arguing that the conduct of the respondent violated the rules of natural justice as provided for under section 3(2) of the Administrative Justice Act.

The applicants wrote the National Diploma 3 examination in November 2019 at Belvedere Technical Teachers College.

Jembere said they wrote to Zimche deputy director of national examinations complaining about disqualification and were advised to write another letter requesting to resit the examination.

On January 20, 2020, they wrote another letter and were told to pay a remarking fee of $500 and did so.

In March, they were called again and interviewed by Zimche experts who asked basic questions.

Until June 10, 2021, the applicants were still waiting for their results. They visited the college and were told that the decision to disqualify them stood.

The matter is yet to be heard.