Source: Cambridge exam fraud principal in custody – herald
Prosper Dembedza-Herald Correspondent
THE proprietor of Destiny Achievers College, Cynthia Gambiza, who is facing seven counts of defrauding Ordinary Level students US$4 000 in Cambridge examination fees, was last week remanded in custody after her bail was revoked.
The State, led by Mr Takudzwa Mutyavaviri, applied for a revocation of bail, arguing that Gambiza had not been attending trial since May 13.
In her defence, Gambiza told the court that she was not feeling well before producing a letter from the doctor.
Mr Mutyavaviri challenged the admissibility of the letter, arguing that it had no stamp and dates. This prompted Harare magistrate Mr Tapiwa Banda to revoke bail and remand Gambiza in custody to today for trial continuation.
According to the State’s case, the fraud began in January 2021 when Rachel Munhenga enrolled her daughter, Gaumuchirai Matsenga, at Destiny Achievers College in Glen Forest, north of Harare.
Munhenga was led to believe that the school was a registered examinations centre of the United Kingdom-based Cambridge examinations and that is why she enrolled her daughter for Form One. The Cambridge link was advertised through social media and billboards.
Matsenga attended the school from Form One up to Form Four, when she was supposed to sit for exams last year.
On May 9, 2023, Ms Munhenga paid US$700 for her daughter’s registration for the October-November 2024 Cambridge examinations. However, on September 26, 2024, she received a WhatsApp message from Gambiza, saying her daughter would not be sitting for the exams because she had not been registered.
Gambiza claimed that the lack of a national identity document during registration was the reason for the non-registration.
Investigations revealed that Gambiza employed the same method to defraud other students, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the school’s operations.
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