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Thubelihle Mabhena Chronicle Reporter
A male teacher at a school in Nkayi went berserk and allegedly rained blows on two female invigilators after they refused to accept an integrated science examination script he had allegedly written on behalf of a Form Four pupil.

The incident, which was witnessed by scores of schoolchildren, happened on Monday afternoon at Bahlangene Secondary School.

Thabiso Moyo, an integrated science teacher, allegedly wrote the examination for a pupil (name withheld) in his storeroom. He allegedly lost his marbles and beat up two female invigilators only identified as Njini and Sinyoro for refusing to accept the script.

Witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an enraged Moyo dragged Sinyoro into a muddy puddle.

“Moyo wrote an integrated exam paper for a Form Four pupil and wanted to put it among other pupils’ exam sheets but the two invigilators, Njini and Sinyoro, refused to accept the paper,” said the witness.

Moyo started quarrelling with Njini and Sinyoro but failed to convince them to give in to his demand.

Moyo, said the witnesses, became furious and grabbed the exam papers in a bid to insert his script among them.

Njini allegedly took them away from him.

“Suddenly Moyo started punching Njini and hurling obscenities at her. Sinyoro tried to hold him back but he punched her as well,” said the witness.

An official said there was pandemonium in the classroom as pupils cheered and stood on desks and chairs to witness the fight.

“Njini grabbed the exam papers and dashed to hide in the storeroom. Moyo continued to beat up Sinyoro until she fell to the ground. He then kicked her and she fell into a muddy puddle,” said the official.

“Sinyoro fought back and when Moyo lost balance, she kicked him and he fell into the mud as well,” said the official.

The noise made by the cheering pupils alerted other teachers who came rushing to see what was happening, added the official.

Teachers at the school reportedly teamed up to subdue Moyo.

A police report was made leading to his arrest.

Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director (PED), Boithatelo Mnguni, said the District Education Officer in the area failed to get to the school to get a full report.

“We heard about the incident at Bahlangene but I can’t give a comment because we are still investigating. The DEO could not get to the school because roads are impassable following a heavy downpour,” said Mnguni.

She however said if events happened the way she was told, she was happy that there were people who were working to uphold the integrity of the examinations.

“The two female teachers should be commended for refusing to bow to pressure,” she said.

Controversy continues to dog Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec) public examinations, with pupils who wrote English Language papers 1 and 2 and Mathematics papers 1 and 2 in November this year, set to re-sit the examinations after they leaked in the Midlands province.

Last year Geography paper 2 and Integrated Science were leaked in the same province, leading to their cancellation.

In 2012 at least 13 O-Level examinations had to be reset at a cost of $850,000 after a headmaster lost the exam papers while travelling by public transport from Bulawayo to his rural school in Matabebeland North.