Delivery Chaos Hits National Exams: Zimsec Blamed for Packaging Failures

Widespread disruptions have hit this year’s Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations, with open envelopes, mislabelled packages, and paper shortages forcing teachers to photocopy scripts.

The chaos has sparked national outrage and drawn sharp criticism of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec), amid growing allegations of intimidation, cover-ups, and logistical failure across exam centres.

Running from October 13 to November 29, the exams are now at the heart of a deepening crisis over the credibility of the country’s public examination system.

An investigation by The Standard revealed a troubling pattern of irregularities across multiple Zimsec centres.

In some cases, question paper envelopes arrived already opened, while others contained mixed subjects in a single package.

Duplicate deliveries were reported at both main and satellite centres, and shortages forced teachers to make photocopies of exam papers to accommodate all candidates.

Safety concerns have also emerged, particularly after reports that some exam packages had been exposed to science chemicals during transit.

A school administrator in Matabeleland North warned that the issue was far more serious than a simple delivery error.

“This is not a mere logistical mistake. It puts the integrity of the entire national exam system into question.”

Teachers and headmasters described a climate of fear around reporting these issues.

Several educators, speaking anonymously, said Zimsec security officers had interrogated school heads aggressively, discouraging transparency.

One headmaster in Midlands explained the dilemma many school leaders now face.

“People fear being blamed or punished. Reporting can lead to suspicion and harassment — keeping quiet can lead to temptation. That’s how a system collapses.”

At Mosi Oa Tunya High School in Victoria Falls, teachers allegedly photocopied an exam paper after receiving an undersupply.

In Nkayi, English Paper 1 and Paper 2 were found mixed in the same envelope. A source familiar with the incident said the response from Zimsec’s investigators only worsened the situation.

“A Zimsec security officer investigating the case ended up accusing the school authorities of mixing up the papers. The officer allegedly harassed the head during investigations.”

In Mashonaland East and Manicaland, satellite centres reportedly received duplicate deliveries, resulting in an oversupply of question papers.

In Harare, some papers were withdrawn due to incorrect labelling and packing among subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, and Family and Religious Studies.

The crisis deepened after Zimsec took over the distribution of science chemicals and laboratory equipment — a role previously handled by schools.

Teachers say the move has overwhelmed the council’s logistics and could compromise practical exams.

A science teacher in Midlands expressed concern over the impact on students.

“Chemicals and equipment arriving broken or leaking could jeopardise practicals. We are not sure if Zimsec was authorised by the Education Ministry to take over this function.”

Efforts to obtain official comment were largely unsuccessful.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Taungana Ndoro referred questions to his deputy, Patrick Zumbo, who acknowledged receiving inquiries but had not responded by the time of publication.

Zimsec spokesperson Nicky Dhlamini neither confirmed nor denied the reports, stating:

“Thank you for your submission. May I have names of some schools so as to verify the assertions?

“We will investigate these allegations and issue updates where applicable.”

Zimsec has long claimed its automated printing and packaging system — introduced to eliminate human error and leaks is foolproof.

However, this year’s incidents have cast fresh doubt on those assurances and reignited concerns about the council’s capacity to manage high-stakes national exams.

Since 1998, when Zimbabwe localised its public examinations to curb leaks under the Cambridge system, Zimsec has battled persistent credibility issues.

In 2022, nearly 5,000 results were cancelled due to widespread leaks.

In 2023, a teacher in Matabeleland South was arrested for circulating English and Mathematics papers, while last year, police confirmed that November exam papers were being sold in advance via WhatsApp groups.

Earlier this year, Tadiwanashe Frank Chiminya (23), a polytechnic student, was arrested for running a WhatsApp group with over 900 members and selling alleged leaked papers for the June session.

Education stakeholders are now calling for a full public audit of Zimsec’s handling of this year’s exams, warning that the credibility of results is at stake.

A retired school inspector said the damage could be long-lasting.

“Any leak, even a small one, can damage the credibility of the results. This is not merely poor logistics, it threatens the integrity of the entire education system.”

Despite arrests of low-level offenders and repeated official reassurances, critics argue that the real masterminds behind the recurring failures have never been held accountable — leaving a cloud of mistrust hanging over the country’s public examinations.