Teacher jailed for leaking exam in exchange for sex with student

A THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD teacher at Kasenga Basic School in Chipata has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for giving out leaked Grade 9 examination papers to female pupils in exchange for sex.
This was revealed in a case in which Noel Mwanza is charged with one count of disclosure of examination information contrary to Section 18 of the Examinations Council of Zambia Act Chapter 137 of the Laws of Zambia.
Chipata magistrate Kunda Malawo described Mwanza’s behaviour as demonic.
Particulars of the offence were that Mwanza, on November 8, 2012, did leak 2012 Mathematics Paper One and 2012 Civics examination papers.
Delivering judgement in the Chipata Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, magistrate Malawo said Mwanza should not be part of the teaching fraternity because he was not only defiling girls in exchange for passing examinations but was also exposing such pupils to corruption at a tender age.
“If they were your children, how would you feel? If you want to sleep with women, go and become a barman where you will find women who have the capacity to negotiate for sex and not pupils who have exam phobia,” he said.
Magistrate Malawo noted that during cross-examination Mwanza did not deny committing the offence of leaking examination papers after getting into a sexual relation with one of the female pupils at the school.
He said the evidence showed that the pupils had examination papers prior to the examinations and it was possible that the whole school had the leaked papers.
Magistrate Malawo found Mwanza guilty of the offence saying the teacher was only interested in his own personal, financial and sexual gratification.
At this stage, three women including Mwanza’s pregnant wife wailed uncontrollably, forcing the magistrate to warn the women against turning the courtroom into a funeral parlour.
In mitigation, Mwanza said he had a pregnant wife, three children and seven dependants.
However, magistrate Malawo said the offence Mwanza committed attracts a fine of K25,000 or a five-year jail term.
Magistrate Malawo said schools are supposed to be learning institutions and not places where teachers engage in sexual relations with pupils.
He said he described Mwanza’s behaviour as demonic because sex with pupils has and will never be part of the school curriculum.
Magistrate Malawo sentenced Mwanza to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour as a warning to would-be offenders and those who want to tarnish Zambia’s education sector.