Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Zim rejects Cambridge curriculum choice claim -Newsday Zimbabwe

A WAR is brewing between Harare and Cambridge University Press & Assessment after the international examinations body indicated that Zimbabwean learners retain the right to choose a curriculum, triggering an immediate government rebuttal that there is “no choice” under the country’s new Heritage-Based Curriculum.

The dispute is centred on the implementation of Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC), which the government says will be the mandatory national learning framework for all pupils. The disagreement has raised uncertainty among parents, schools and learners over the future role of international examination systems such as Cambridge alongside Zimbabwe’s evolving education reforms.

The clash follows a June 15, 2026, statement by Cambridge indicating that discussions with the Primary and Secondary Education ministry clarified that learners will continue to have a choice of curriculum and will not be required to take both local and international curricula.

The Cambridge statement came after high-level engagements involving the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec), school associations and other stakeholders, including discussions attended by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.

However, the government has dismissed that interpretation as “incorrect and misleading”, insisting that the Heritage-Based Curriculum is mandatory for all learners and that there is no choice between the national curriculum and international alternatives.

“There is no choice of curriculum. The Heritage-Based Curriculum is mandatory for all pupils in Zimbabwe. This position has not changed and will not be altered by any engagements with external examination bodies,” Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said.

Cambridge said the ministry clarified during the engagements that learners would continue to have a choice of curriculum and would not be required to take both local and international curricula.

“Through these discussions, the ministry clarified that learners will continue to have a choice of curriculum and will not be expected to take both local and international curricula,” Cambridge Sub Saharan Africa managing director Louise Hendoy said in the statement.

He advised schools that Cambridge’s next step will be to work with Zimsec “on a structured review of the Heritage-Based Curiculum”.

But Ndoro maintained that the first national examinations under the Heritage-Based Curriculum will be administered in 2028, while Zimsec will become the sole examination body for all national examinations beginning next year.

While ruling out a ban on Cambridge examinations, the ministry said international qualifications would only serve as supplementary credentials.

“We are not banning Cambridge or any other international examination board. Pupils may voluntarily sit for Cambridge examinations as an additional qualification, a supplementary one, but this does not replace or exempt them from the mandatory HBC and Zimsec-administered national examinations,” Ndoro said.

The ministry accused Cambridge of creating confusion by suggesting learners can choose between curricula.

“Any suggestion that pupils have a choice between curricula is incorrect and misleading. Cambridge’s statement does not reflect the policy direction of the government of Zimbabwe,” Ndoro said.

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Source: Chivayo’s father-in-law caught in love triangle as wife takes side chick to court –Newsday Zimbabwe

Accused. Millicent Murape

A messy love dispute involving billionaire Wicknell Chivayo’s father-in-law, David Madzikanda, has spilled into the courts, with his wife dragging his alleged girlfriend before a Harare magistrate on cyberbullying and property damage charges.

Millicent Murape, described in court as Madzikanda’s “side chick,” appeared before Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki facing charges under the Cyber and Data Transmission Act, alongside malicious damage to property.

The court heard that Murape, who was initially a lodger at the Madzikanda family property, later began a relationship with Madzikanda and allegedly sent insulting WhatsApp messages to his wife, Mutseriwa Madzikanda, boasting that she was now “taking over” her husband and becoming the new landlady.

Mutseriwa told the court that Murape also accused her of witchcraft, claiming she had placed traditional charms on her doorstep to cause a miscarriage.

“This woman (Murape) is our lodger and now my husband’s girlfriend. She insulted me on WhatsApp and also broke my window panes,” Mutseriwa testified.

“She accused me of bewitching her, saying I placed a charm on her doorstep so she would miscarry her pregnancy with Madzikanda’s child.”

Mutseriwa revealed that her husband has four other wives including some from the “touchline”but insisted her police report was not driven by jealousy, but by a need to protect herself.

She recounted how she once went to Murape’s apartment to confront her over a message, only to discover her husband inside.

“I know Murape had her own husband, so I was surprised to see my husband inside her room in the middle of the day when he was supposed to be at work,” she said.

“I waited at the door for an hour. When they finally came out, I tried to talk to them, but they refused to engage.”

Mutseriwa said she later obtained a protection order against Murape, but after it expired, Murape sent her another abusive message.

When the prosecutor asked if jealousy was behind the complaint, Mutseriwa firmly denied it.

“I have no problem with Madzikanda sleeping with other people’s wives—it’s not his first time. His problem is that he’s searching for a son since he only has daughters. Even if he goes to the touchline, I don’t care,” she said.

“Murape used to call my husband while she still had her own husband because she didn’t want to pay rent. I’m surprised why she wants to sleep with a 65-year-old man when men her age are plenty.”

In her defence, Murape told the court that she and the complainant are both girlfriends to Madzikanda.

She accused Mutseriwa of stalking her to damage her reputation, and claimed Mutseriwa had called her a prostitute out of jealousy over her relationship with the elderly doctor.

Murape also denied throwing stones or breaking any window panes at Mutseriwa’s residence.

The allegations before the court state that on July 5, 2025, around 9 PM, Mutseriwa received offensive WhatsApp messages from Murape’s number.

A second batch of messages followed on July 6, to which Mutseriwa did not reply.

The matter was postponed to next week, when Madzikanda is expected to take the stand and testify.

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Source: Govt caps August vacation school period, fees for exam classes –Newsday Zimbabwe

HARARE, June 17 (NewsDay Live) – Government has approved a 10-day August vacation school programme for all 2026 examination classes and warned schools against exceeding the stipulated period.

According to Circular No. 7 of 2026 dated June 9, 2026 and issued by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, the vacation school programme for Grade 7, Form 4, and Upper Sixth classes will run from August 7 to 20.

The ministry has ring-fenced two public holidays — Heroes Day on August 11, and Defence Forces Day on August 12 August — during which no lessons may be conducted.

To complete the 10-day requirement, schools may schedule lessons on Saturdays and Sundays if necessary.

Crucially, the circular states that “no holiday school shall be conducted beyond August 20, 2026”.

Only candidates sitting for national examinations this year — Grade 7, Form 4, and Upper Six — are eligible to attend.

To prevent overcharging, the ministry set a cap on fees per subject, with Grade 7 learners expected to pay US$2, Form 4 learners USD$3, and Upper Six learners USD$5, with an option to pay either in US dollars or the ZiG equivalent at the prevailing rate.

Boarding schools have been allowed to levy an additional US$5 per day per learner for upkeep costs.

Schools have also been ordered to ensure teacher appreciation does not consume more than 50% of the revenue collected, with the balance going towards stationery and administration.

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Source: Total Energies fuel attendant in US$15 000 fraud storm -Newsday Zimbabwe

HARARE, June 17 (NewsDay Live)- A 30-year-old fuel attendant at Total Energies Belgravia has appeared in court for defrauding his employer of US$15 000 through the company’s prepaid fuel card system.

Tapiwa Agere was remanded in custody to allow for investigations into the matter.

The State alleges that sometime in February, Agere got access to the code used to load money into the prepaid Total Energies cards.

He allegedly created his own fuel card and registered it in the name of an imposter R Taguta.

The court heard that sometime between February 11 and June 11, Agere fraudulently loaded money into his card without remitting the money to Total Energies Service Station, represented in court by Ahmed Mohamed Iqbbal Sidat (31).

Agere allegedly  then used the card to swipe for fuel at different stations, and converted it to cash.

The court further heard that Agere allegedly also took the cash from the daily fuel sales and converted it to own use.

The alleged fraud was unearthed during a systems audit, leading to Agere’s arrest.

Total value prejudiced is US$15 000, and nothing was recovered.

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Source: National Assembly in disorder as MPs clash over bid to ‘kill’ CAB3 –Newsday Zimbabwe

THE National Assembly descended into disorder on Wednesday as Zanu PF and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators failed to agree on a proposal by CCC MP Edwin Mushoriwa to delete Clause 1 of the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.

Mushoriwa argued that removing Clause 1, which contains the short title of the Bill, would effectively eliminate the proposed legislation from Parliament.

The proposal sparked heated exchanges between MPs from the ruling party and the opposition as the House reverted to the Committee Stage for clause-by-clause consideration of the controversial Bill.

The Committee Stage allows legislators to propose amendments, deletions or additions to specific clauses before the Bill is adopted.

The disagreement brought proceedings to a standstill as members debated the implications of Mushoriwa’s proposal, with Zanu PF MPs resisting attempts to remove the opening clause and opposition legislators insisting the Bill should be withdrawn.

Debate on the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 continues amid  divisions over its provisions and the process leading to its passage.­­­­

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