Parents and students who spoke to Chronicle yesterday alleged that Mr Nyamukapa on Wednesday made all students doing Information Communication and Technology (ICT) to sit for their examinations during odd hours.

The development is said to have affected all students from different departments as all are required to do computers.

“All students sitting for computer examinations had to write in the middle of the night due to shortage of computers at the college. As parents we are disturbed by the development that put our children, especially girls, at risk,” said a parent who only identified himself as Mr Zvandasara.

He said on Wednesday night he had to pick his daughter who is doing her studies at the college at around midnight and saw students stranded with no transport.

“I had to go and collect my daughter at around midnight with my car because all kombis had since stopped ferrying passengers. My greatest fear is for the girls who may fall prey to inconsiderate men who may take advantage and sexually abuse them in return for a lift. By that time there were still some girls waiting at the gate and some looked desperate.

“The most affected students are those that don’t live on campus because they would have to travel to their homes after the examination making them vulnerable to unscrupulous sugar daddies.

“The situation is terrible, authorities should address the problem before there is serious chaos at the institution,” he said.

One of the affected students said the situation was unbearable as they were forced to sit for the examinations in batches and on Wednesday some finished their practicals at around 3 am.

“I finished writing my ICT paper at around 12 midnight but I left others behind, still waiting to get into the examination room. We were divided into many groups and we had to get into the room in batches. Some finished their examinations at around 3am today (yesterday). We are not happy with such an awkward arrangement,” said a student who could not be named for fear of victimisation.

Contacted for comment Mr Nyamukapa said students with grievances should approach the administration through rightful channels instead of rushing to the media.

“If there are disgruntled students they should raise their grievances through the rightful channels and not to go to Chronicle with their grievances. However, I am not allowed to comment on such issues but the bottom line is if there is a student not willing to sit for an examination, that particular individual is not forced to write. You can talk to the director of Manpower and Institutional Development in Harare since I am not allowed to comment on critical matters,” said Mr Nyamukapa.

When the director of Manpower Planning and Institutional Development, Mr John Dehwa was contacted he said: “I cannot say whether it has happened or not since I have not received anything to that effect. This is the first time to hear that and I believe if it ever happened Mr Nyamukapa could have written a report and sent it to me.

“We have never experienced such a scenario in all Hexco examinations. I have been doing this job for the past 30 years but I have never come across such an incident, except when the country had serious power shortages.

“Such incidents should not be allowed to happen and there is no examination which can be written at 12 midnight or 3 am, even those at medical schools don’t do that.

“By the same token I have to check with the principal of the college.”

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