Backlash as ZACC arrests ZUPCO employee for certificates forgery

Date:

MARTI MAWAYA

MUTARE-The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has come under attack from members of the public for concentrating on petty thefts that can be easily dealt with by the police or kraalheads, leaving mega corruption cases unattended.

The attack comes on the back of recent arrest of a Harare marshal for soliciting for a US$20 bribe and the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company Pvt Ltd (ZUPCO) analysis clerk stationed at Mutare Depot who was nabbed by ZACC for forging Ordinary Level certificates in a bid to be appointed into the accounts department.

  A senior retired police officer said it is shameful that a whole constitutional body goes after small fish like an issue of educational certificates forgery yet there are serious issues that need to be pursued.

“With all due respect ZACC cannot waste scarce national resources to pursue a forgery of educational certificates by an employee. The stationery used to write the statement is not worth the case being pursued.

“That matter can be dealt with at the company level and if there is any prejudice to the company the employee in question can be reported to the police or civil court instead of whole commissioners trooping to Mutare for educational certificates forgery case and having the temerity to issue a national statement, my foot,” said the retired senior officer who preferred anonymity.

He added that there are serious corruption cases which involve gargantuan figures with known perpetrators walking scot-free, like the transfer of large tracts of land worth US$10m to Simbi Steelmakers in Masvingo but nothing is being done about those cases because they involve the big fish in the country.

He said land barons should be rotting in jails not for selling land but for not servicing the stands that they allocated to beneficiaries.

“It is unbelievable that places like Calidonia or Takawira have living beings staying there because during the rain season the places are just impassable, in Masvingo in other Victoria Ranch areas there are blair toilets, Jesus, blair toilets in the ancient city and somebody is not in jail for that yet ZACC chases after educational certificate fraudsters or US$20 bribe, my foot.

“I think the first people, to be arrested should be ZACC commissioners themselves for not doing anything,” said the fuming former senior cop.

According to ZACC, Josiah Sinai (50) used fake academic certificates to secure employment at the parastatal by deceiving the human resources clerk.

 He was arrested through tip-off after the investigating officers seized his personal file from ZUPCO Mutare deport.

It is alleged that in July 2020, ZUPCO conducted a recruitment of analysis clerks and the applicants were supposed to have at least 5 ordinary level passes including Mathematics and English Language or being a holder of either a Diploma in Accounting or Degree in Accounting from any recognized tertiary institution in the country.

“Accused  applied for the vacancy and was considered for interviews as he had submitted copies of his academic qualifications which includes an ordinary level certificate issued by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate in Collaboration with Ministry of Education and Culture Zimbabwe  indicating that he possess 5 ordinary level passes including Mathematics and English Language for November 1991 examinations written at  Sakubva Secondary No2, an advanced level certificate issued by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate in Collaboration with the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council indicating that he attained 3 passes in English Literature, Mathematics and Physics in November 1996 examinations written at Biriri High School, a diploma in Accounting issued to the accused by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education on  31st of December 1998,” reads part of the charge sheet.

The charge sheet in the possession of The Midweek Watch indicated that Sinai was later instructed to submit his original academic certificates as it was discovered that the copies he had submitted were not certified.

 However, upon investigations by ZACC, it was discovered that Sinai’s certificate was fake as it showed Sakubva High School No2 as the center name for examinations instead of Rushingo Secondary School.

Furthermore, Rushingo Secondary School centre number was Z2310 and not Sakubva Secondary School No2 which had a Centre number Z2196 as highlighted on Sinai’s certified copy.

The trail of events shows that Sakubva Secondary School No2 was never used as an examinations centre.

“The second anomaly Is that the candidate number on original copies issued in 1991 by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate in Collaboration with Ministry of Education and Culture Zimbabwe for November 1991 examinations was a cumulative figure starting from 1 going up to the last candidate. A copy from the set of these certificates was provided where candidate number is 57 and the candidate number on accused one’s certificate is 0058,” added ZACC.

ZACC added that the original copies issued in 1991 by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate in Collaboration with Ministry of Education and Culture Zimbabwe for November 1991 examinations has a signature for the Permanent Secretary.

 Sinai’s certificate which he purported to have been issued from the same examining board bears a different signature for a different title of Permanent Secretary for Education.

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