Lumbadzi Police, working on a complaint from MANEB, on Thursday, 7th July, 2016, arrested a 34-year old Maxwell Mkwezalamba— a Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) at Chiwamba Health Centre in Lilongwe, over impersonation and uttering a false document charges.
The arrest followed a tip-off that MANEB received that Mr Mkwezalamba had duly registered to sit for the 2016 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Examination under another name Maliseni Kafundu. Earlier before examinations, MANEB had also been tipped-off that the suspect got employment as HSA in the Ministry of Health using an MSCE bearing the name Maliseni TL Kafundu.
MANEB investigations managed to get Mkwezalamba at Mkoma Church and further visited his house in Chiwamba; and confirmed the allegations. It was discovered that he had a photocopy of an MSCE obtained in the year 2000 bearing the name Maliseni TL Kafundu; and an original MSCE obtained in 2009 bearing Maxwell Mkwezalamba, bearing his photo too. Further, it was established that he was using the name Maliseni Kafundu at his workplace, at the bank and in all official documents.
When taken to Lumbadzi Police for interrogation, Mkwezalamba confessed to have gotten the job using the name Maliseni Kafundu as he did not have a certificate by then. He further told the investigators that he did not succeed in changing his name after getting a certificate in 2009 hence resorted to getting an original certificate bearing the name Maliseni Kafundu by writing the 2016 MSCE examination under that name to regularize his employment.
He was arrested and charged with impersonation contrary to MANEB Conduct of Examination Regulations, 2008, Section 29(20); and uttering a false document contrary to the Penal Code Section 391.
Mkwezalamba, who comes from Ngolomi Village, Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa district, appeared in court on Monday, 11th July 2016 where he pleaded guilty to charges. The matter is coming on Wednesday, 13th July, 2016 at Mkukula Magistrate Court in Lumbadzi for judgement.
This is a third recorded case since the examination began. The first case involved Joseph Makiyi who works at Prison Fellowship who hired Charles Kumwenda to write examinations on his behalf. Both were arrested for impersonation and pleaded guilty to the charge. Makiyi was sentenced to six years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) or pay K80, 000 in default; while Kumwenda was fined K70, 000 or be imprisoned for four years in default. Both paid the fines.
The second case was also in Balaka district where police arrested Zamadula Macheka, teacher at Dziwe FP School, who was writing the examination to upgrade his qualifications, for possessing unauthorised reference material. He pleaded guilty to the charge, got convicted and sentenced to pay a K50, 000 fine or in serve a two-year jail term. He paid the fine.
