MSCE Candidates write exams on Eid holiday

As government has declared Thursday 7th July a public holiday, Malawi National Examinations Board MANEB has said that form four students will proceed with Examinations.

MANEB public relation officer Simeon Maganga has said this in an interview with radio Islam when it wanted to find out why candidates are today not writing their exams.

According to Maganga the students will not be on holiday on Thursday as they have already observed it today.

Meanwhile,Maganga has said two close friends who were cheating during the ongoing MSCE Examinations in Balaka have been sentenced to 6 and 4 years imprisonment with hard labour or pay a fine of 80 and 70 thousand kwacha respectively.

The convicts are 40 year old Joseph Makiyi and Charles Kumwenda aged 25.

The first suspect Makiyi who is Health Surveilance Assistant was arrested as he was writing the examinations on behalf of Kumwenda Administrator for Malawi Prison Fellowship in Balaka.

According to Balaka publicist Gerald Sumairi on the afternoon of 30 June 2016 during the sitting of Human Geography paper, Charles Kumwenda was caught in the Examination Room by Mr Stone Jester Mtambalika an Examination Security Officer at MANEB who at this particular moment went to Balaka Islamic institute to inspect on how Exams were progressing at the centre.

“Kumwenda looked nervous and was trembling when the MANEB official entered the Examination Room. This forced the security officer to draw close to the candidate and ask him
what was wrong and eventually he revealed that he was writing the
exams on behalf of his friend whose name was on the Student Identity
Card.” explained Sumairi.

Sumairi added that Mtambalika reported the issue to Balaka police and upon
investigations the other suspect,Joseph Makiyi was found at his house
just staying idle.

The suspects have been tried using MANEB Act 29:18 and Amended Penalties Act 14:68.

Meanwhile, Kumwenda and Makiyi have paid the fines.

Both Joseph Makiyi and Charles Kumwenda come from the same village of
Lupanga Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka District.