Chimbumu (62), according to the Zimbabwe School
Examinations Council (Zimsec), only passed a single O-Level subject, but
produced a forged certificate showing she had five passes for the purposes of
getting the job.
The Higher Examinations Council (Hexco) also dismissed her
two diplomas in Accounts and Secretarial Studies as well as a Higher National
Diploma in Office Management as fraudulent.
Hexco said the diplomas appeared genuine, but they could
not be traced to any college in Zimbabwe. The qualifications in question could
neither be found on mark sheets, award lists nor master files at Hexco.
Recently, Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) withdrew the
Politics and Administration degree conferred to Chimbumu upon discovering she
had misrepresented information.
“Great Zimbabwe University hereby notifies its valued
stakeholders that an award of a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree (Politics
and Public Administration) conferred to Mrs Florence Chioneso Chimbumu of
Number 1305 Donnybrook, Greendale, Harare, has been withdrawn.
“The degree was awarded to Mrs Chimbumu in June 2019 and
has been recalled after establishing that she grossly misrepresented
information to the university, which amounts to a gross academic offence,”
reads a notice dated January 6 2021.
On the strength of the questionable documents, Mrs Chimbumu
lived large, enjoying luxurious perks at the country’s quality regulator of
degree and diploma programmes.
After landing the top managerial post in January last year,
Mrs Chimbunu enjoyed the luxury of a private security guard, an all-terrain
Toyota Hilux double cab vehicle, school fees and international holiday
allowances.
This lifestyle was cut short after Zimche discovered she
was using fake academic and tertiary qualifications.
Mrs Chimbunu’s contract of employment shows that she was
entitled to a five-day international holiday and daily allowance for two people
annually, payment of school fees for three children, 340 litres of fuel
monthly, a land-line telephone and wi-fi allowance, professional association
allowance and dressing allowance. Zimche would also pay tertiary fees for
Chimbunu, her spouse and three children.
She was also entitled to a domestic worker’s allowance and
a monthly retention allowance, entertainment allowance, medical aid cover for
spouse and four dependants, cellphone and housing allowances.
Chimbunu had been enjoying the benefits for the first nine
months of 2020 after her promotion in January to a top manager, having
originally started as a receptionist.
She reportedly produced fake certificates indicating she
had five O-Level passes plus tertiary qualifications. She ran out of luck when
a human resources audit checked up. The embarrassed education quality regulator
and Mrs Chimbumu have now parted company, although it is unknown if she
resigned or was fired.
This was after Zimche found via Zimsec and Hexco that she
had submitted fake qualifications. She was caught after a Zimche internal
audit, a check normally done by human resources officers before one is hired.
Chimbumu has since been arrested for fraud and forgery and she now awaits
trial.
She was promoted under a restructuring initiated by the new
chief executive, Professor Kuzvinetsa Dzvimbo.
The recent restructuring saw the recruitment of 11 new
managers, creating a management-rich organisation.
The new positions included two chief directors, directors
of finance, audit, administration, information and communications technology
(ICT) and chief operations officer, the post held by Chimbunu, among other
positions, in addition to the other managers already in employ.
The new appointees assumed duty on January 6, 2020, after
being selected in interviews conducted in November 2019. Herald
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