Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo has ordered Tadiwanashe Frank Chiminya to remain in custody until April 17 as he awaits a decision on his bail. Chiminya, a 23-year-old student from Kwekwe, faces charges of fraud related to a suspected leak of examination papers for the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) Ordinary and Advanced Level exams scheduled for June.
According to prosecutor Nomsa Kangara, Chiminya allegedly set up a WhatsApp group named “June 2025 Zimsec Group and Exam Papers” last November. In this group, he falsely claimed to have access to leaked exam papers that he intended to sell. Some individuals reportedly made payments to him through mobile money transfers into an account registered under Admire Magaya.
Zimsec officials received information about the group and accessed it using a link. Upon joining, they found communications that could potentially damage the council’s reputation and subsequently reported the situation to the authorities.
Chiminya was arrested on April 12 at his home in Mbizo, Kwekwe. Police seized an iPhone containing two Econet lines linked to the alleged fraud and a Tecno Spark 9 phone during the arrest. The WhatsApp group was also retrieved in the process.
Kangara argued in court that Chiminya’s actions had harmed Zimsec’s reputation and undermined the integrity of its examination processes. She opposed his bail request, emphasizing the severity of the charges and the potential risk of him obstructing the investigation.
Detective Constable Inspector Sizinkosi Ncube noted that Zimsec had paused the printing of the June examination papers to facilitate a thorough investigation into Chiminya’s connections within the examination board. He expressed concerns that Chiminya might flee if released on bail, given the serious nature of the allegations.
Additionally, Ncube mentioned challenges faced by the police during the investigation, as Chiminya was uncooperative, resisting efforts to unlock his phone for six hours. Zimsec is also working to identify the source of the leaked examination papers, worried that more information could be disclosed before the exam dates.
The State argued that granting bail could allow Chiminya to interfere with witnesses.
