> Let's Forward this Post Everywhere ❕ *Destiny Achievers college in Harare makes students write fake Cambridge exams* ‼️ *.....Students & parents scammed US$11,000 exam fees* ‼️ https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDkMuTFCCoNC13vvo2V _*©Eragon Online News*_ *_(Follow this channel to read more...)_* *Group Link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/CDyzvhE1ey5H89lorhyIvn DESTINY Achievers College in Harare allegedly made 16 candidates write a fake June Cambridge Ordinary Level examination to make up for missed exams last year, prejudicing them of US$11 000 in exam fees This comes hard on the heels of reports that the school also embezzled last year’s November examination fees, leaving students stranded. All 16 learners have had their entire academic year compromised, as they were supposed to enrol in Lower Sixth classes this year. When contacted for comment from early this week, the college’s proprietor Cynthia Gambiza’s mobile phone has been going unanswered while the institution was deserted. The learners’ parents and guardians, some of whom had been forking out US$650 per term, paid exam fees ranging from US$600 to US$1 000 and all the funds went down the drain. After allegedly embezzling funds meant for Cambridge November exams last year, the school promised to allow them to write in June this year. This was, however, not to be as the learners discovered that the Mathematics question paper they sat for was identical to the previous year’s, which they had just revised, with only the cover page bearing a new date. It also emerged that the school allegedly rented a venue and conducted the fake exam, having told parents that they had partnered with a Cambridge-registered institution to facilitate the students’ exams. “As for me, I visited the school on Thursday, but there was no staff. Then today, I went to ZDECO College, the alleged institution where our children wrote the exams, and met the deputy principal, Mr Madzimure. He said they don’t have a Cambridge centre, but confirmed that a lady came looking for a place to conduct mock exams and they leased a class to her. He had no idea it was a scam. So, he advised me to contact Mr Sithole from Cambridge,” reads part of the message which was sent by Mr Piniel Nzvenga to a WhatsApp group created by parents and guardians of the victims. He said the learners noticed that one of the exam papers was identical to a past paper. “So, they went to sit for Mathematics, and surprisingly, the paper they were revising was the one that actually came on the day of the exam,” Mr Nzvenga added. “There were no Cambridge invigilators on the day, which raised suspicions among the students about the authenticity of the exam. The children alerted their teachers about the matter, and their response was that they would get feedback from the principal, Mrs Gambiza. I then tried to call the principal starting last week, but her phone has been unreachable.” For Mr Nzvenga, his sole desire is for those responsible to face the full force of the law and for his money to be refunded. “I paid US$800 for the exam fee. I have reported the matter at Borrowdale police and they said they are investigating the issue. What I need is justice as my child has been disadvantaged a lot.” Another parent, the father of Clayton Nyamagodo, who reportedly led the protest after they became suspicious, said: “I paid US$900 for eight subjects and US$100 for the centre fee. “I reported the incident to Borrowdale Police Station under case number RRB 6368544. They said there’s another case concerning the same issue that was previously reported, so they are going to investigate.” He also revealed that they had also made a report to the parent ministry. “We had to report the case to the Ministry of Education as well. When we arrived, they instructed us to write a brief account of what happened, and they promised to assist us. However, up to now, there’s been no response. Time is flying, and the children are just sitting at home doing nothing.” Another parent revealed that the school principal, Dr Gambiza, had convinced him to let his child sit for the June exam instead of November. “My child was due to take the exam in November 2024, but Dr Gambiza called me, suggesting we delay it to June this year, saying my child needed more preparation in two subjects and that this would ensure he only sat for the exam once. I wasn’t planning to delay, but I was persuaded by her argument.” He also revealed that he had reported the case at Borrowdale Police Station, where he was told that other parents had already filed similar reports, along with other affected families. “All I need from the Government is assistance in ensuring this matter is addressed, as we’ve already engaged the police. The school should also refund the money. It’s not easy to raise $800 only to have it disappear without achieving its intended purpose.” Another parent, who only identified herself as Mai Mazendame, said it was unfortunate that her child had been unable to sit for his exams since November 2024, only to be made to write a fake exam this June.” “I paid US$600 for my child’s six subjects, and we’ve reported our case to the police, but we haven’t received any feedback. “If the Government could help us ensure our child can sit for the exam in November 2025 and hold the person accountable for this fiasco, that would be great. They’ve caused serious inconvenience to our children, and consequences are in order.” She also revealed that she was surprised to receive a phone call from someone at Destiny Achievers College informing her that the exams were fake. “I was surprised to receive a call from one of their administrators, who said, ‘I’m sure you’ve been getting complaints from the children. I’m sorry to tell you that it’s true — they were indeed writing fake exams’. “I couldn’t believe it, but she immediately clarified that she wasn’t the school’s owner. She then informed us that principal Gambiza had collapsed and had been taken to hospital.” His son, Anotidaishe Mazendame, who is currently affected by the situation, said they started writing exams on April 28. “We began with English, followed by Mathematics, but heard through rumours that we were writing fake exams. We then went on to write Geography and Travel and Tourism, and were eventually told that the exams were fake after the teachers confirmed.” He, however, said that he went to check at ZEDCO, where he claimed to have sat for his exams, to see if other students were writing exams. “They were actually surprised and asked me if I was certain that I had written exams at their institution. The principal ended up saying they were now suspecting that some of their staff might have rented the place behind their back.” Anotidaishe, like his fellow classmates, is depressed and stuck at home after his academic journey was derailed. Ms Chengetai Mujakachi, regional head of communications for Sub-Saharan Africa at the British Council, which oversees Cambridge examinations, confirmed that the school is not a registered Cambridge centre. “The school in question is not one of our partner institutions,” she said. “The British Council serves as an examination centre that accommodates private candidates; however, we do not have any records of candidates from that school. “Additionally, I have verified the information on the Cambridge website under ‘Find a Cambridge Registered School in Zimbabwe’, and unfortunately, the school does not appear on that list.” This also comes at a time when Cynthia Gambiza, proprietor of Destiny Achievers College, is already facing court charges for allegedly defrauding students of $4 000 in Cambridge exam fees. The case is already before the court, with Gambiza having appeared before Harare magistrate Lisa Mutendereki in January. The latest victims of the staged Cambridge exam were reportedly part of the group that reported the case, but were convinced that they would be given a chance to make up for the missed exams this June. According to Mr Nyamagodo, they did not report the incident with the other seven parents in November last year because they were convinced that their children would be given a chance to write the exams. When contacted for comment, Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza said: “We have a similar case involving parents who worked at the school and were promised that the school would cover their children’s exam fees, only to discover they’d been deceived. However, I couldn’t get any details on the specific case of staged Cambridge exams. I’ll continue to follow up with Borrowdale Police Station.’” Efforts to obtain an official comment by press time yesterday proved fruitless, as Primary and Secondary Education Ministry spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro, had not responded by then. According to the State in a case already before the courts, the fraud began in 2021 when parents, like Rachel Munhenga, enrolled their children at the school, believing it was a registered Cambridge exam centre. Munhenga paid US$700 for her daughter’s exam registration, but was later informed that her daughter wouldn’t be sitting for the exams due to non-registration. Investigations revealed that Gambiza used the same tactics to defraud other students, raising concerns about the school’s legitimacy. The school had advertised its Cambridge link through social media and billboards, but it appears the promises were empty. The victims are reportedly around 33 as others did not follow up and enrolled their children at other schools. Herald