Government is investigating allegations that grade nine examination papers destined for North-western Province have gone missing.
Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Henry Tukombe said that the ministry is investigating the matter with relevant authorities on the Copperbelt.
Mr Tukombe charged that the ministry was not yet aware of the information pertaining to the missing examination papers, as is being circulated on social media.
He further urged the general public to remain calm while the relevant authority looks into the matter.
He was speaking to journalist during a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
This week, some Grade 9 examination question papers that were destined for Solwezi went missing in Chingola.
The papers were being ferried in a containerized vehicle to Solwezi for the November 2016 junior secondary examinations.
Copperbelt Police Chief Charity Katanga confirmed the development saying the criminals broke into the vehicle while in motion at the place called Mushishima in Chingola and stole the carton boxes.
She said the area were the incident occurred had a lot of pot holes which gave the thieves ample time to break into the containers.
“When vehicles slow down thieves jump on the trucks and steal the goods. This is the same point at which the Grade 9 English exams question papers were stolen from.
“A pass by found one carton box sealed and five packs were opened. So far we have not ascertained the number of carton boxes that were stolen because they were destined for Solwezi. The Education Council of Zambia officers from Lusaka have already come in Chingola with a view to ascertain the stolen papers. They want to know how many were received in Solwezi and compare with what was dispatched,” she said.
She further explained that the criminals thought it was food that was in the containerized vehicle thereby breaking into it.
She has since said that investigations into the matter had since been instituted.
Source at DABS office in Chingola said the people transporting the Grade 9 exams question papers ignored given instructions not to move at night for security reasons.
If the pf cannot manage simple examination papers how can you expect these dull tins to ensure food security and improved living standards. We warned you but you didn’t listen. Zambia is a failed state
Charity is too talkative. So no grade 9 papers were stolen.
The Annual Examination Leakage is back in session!
Are we ever going to have clean exams ever again in Zambia???
This is ludicrous and only shows how inept some government officials are. To start with, the Copperbelt police chief confirmed some days ago that the Examination papers were stolen, and one unopened and five opened boxes containing Exam papers were recovered. Which means these reports are not just “allegations,” nor do they have their source on “social media.” Social media was just reacting to the story as it was unfolding. One would expect that the Copperbelt police chief already officially reported the matter to the government by now, which most likely she did, according to what we saw in the news. So why is this government official saying “the government is not aware of the theft?” Does that make any sense? And why don’t they have an armed guard accompany the truck, when…
(Continued)… transporting these Exam papers?
Ba NEZ, mwafita upuli kapuli kenu! Go and sort out the mess in your NGO upnd before spewing nonsense about the hard working PF. Idiet!!!!
Not surprised, government is also not aware that elections were rigged, government is not aware of the corruption at ZNFU, government is not aware that salaries have been delayed – NHA workers going half a year without pay. Government is not aware that it has enslaved souls like Kudos & Senior Citizen
‘She further explained that the criminals thought it was food that was in the containerized vehicle thereby breaking into it.’ ….Really laughable, have the thieves confirmed that they thought it was food?
The government is not aware of missing exam papers??????????? This is crazy now, one wing of government (ZP) tells us the papers were stolen and the other wing of government (Min of Education)
tells us government is not aware of missing exam papers.
Are there two governments in Zambia? Please Tukombe whatever your name is please get your ass up and call Katanga and verify the issue. why are you taking Zambia backward with your kind of administration. Journalists have done their job by reporting and its your duty to sort out the mess unless people had included extra papers as is always the case for leakage purposes- but all the same sort out the mess that’s why you get paid everything month (not just to wear suits and attend workshops)
This is a form of TERRORISM taking place in ZAMBIA.
This was first reported 3-5 days ago and the ministry is not aware? WHAT A GOVERNMENT!!! NO WONDER THINGS ARE NOT OK IN ZAMBIA. RETIREES ARE NOT PAID THEIR MONEY BUT NEW MINISTRIES ARE BEING CREATED. VERY SAD.