The Sunday Mail
Chief Reporter
Matabeleland North National Assembly representative Ms Lwazi Sibanda (MDC-T) was two weeks ago booted out of a university examination for allegedly cheating.
Ms Sibanda, a proportional representation MP, is studying Development Studies with the Zimbabwe Open University. University authorities confirmed the legislator was kicked out of an exam on November 15, 2016 because she was “caught cheating”, and she could be deregistered by ZOU.
Ms Sibanda could not be reached for comment. ZOU spokesperson Mr Robson Mhandu told The Sunday Mail, “It is confirmed; the student was caught cheating at our Harare-Chitungwiza regional campus on November 15, 2016. The student was stopped from writing the examination and asked to write a report.
“In line with university policy, procedures, rules and regulations on examinations, all cases of examination malpractice and misconduct are dealt with by the student disciplinary committee, and necessary action or measures are taken accordingly.
“The university has put in place a quality management system which involves a watertight examinations management system in line with international best practices. It is very difficult to evade the system.
“The university does not discriminate on the basis of a student’s rank, position or social status. All students are continuously advised to fully abide by the set procedures, rules and regulations guiding the conduct of examinations. “Students are also warned that any nature of cheating will never be tolerated, and any student caught cheating will face the consequences in accordance with set procedures, rules and regulations.”
Ms Sibanda is among a crop of legislative backbenchers who have not contributed to Parliamentary debate since taking the oath in 2013. She told our sister paper The Chronicle that she was yet to deliver her maiden speech as she was “still learning the ropes”.
