• It is clear that ZANEC may want to play to the gallery on this matter.
• They are very much aware of the process to the basis minimum as an education stakeholder.
• ZANEC should put their demand to ECZ in writing.

Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) says Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) may want to play to the gallery following its demands for ECZ to state the criteria that was used to nullify the 8, 778 results for both GCE and Grade 9 external examinations.
Council Public Relations Manager Nicholas Nkhuwa told Money FM News in an interview that ZANEC is very much aware of the results nullification process to the basis minimum, as an education stakeholder with vast experience in education management and systems both locally and beyond.
Mr. Nkhuwa urged ZANEC to put their demands in writing, adding that the country’s examinations body shall adequately respond.
“We want to clarify that the ECA Act No.15 of 1983 Chapter 137 of the Laws of Zambia is very clear in section 18 to 22 on how matters to do with examination irregularities or any matters to do with examination malpractices are supposed to be handled. So we are taken aback by calls from some stakeholders that we need to clarify the procedures that we used to nullify the results for the 2022 General Certificate of Education. It is clear that ZANEC may want to play to the gallery on this matter. We therefore ask them to put their demand to us in writing and we shall adequately respond.”
“However, it should be well appreciated the efforts that ECZ has made in the discharge of its mandate that the institution has worked tirelessly with stakeholders to clamp down the leakages which was a cancer in the past,” Mr. Nkhuwa stated.
Mr. Nkhuwa said what is currently happening is a matter of unprofessional conduct of some of the individuals involved in the examination process, a matter which is being squarely dealt with by relevant government institutions such as the Teaching Service Commission, and Teaching Council of Zambia.
“We will therefore not seat back and watch any person or group of individuals trying to discredit the achievements of the Council thus far and anyone trying to propagate messages that our assessment systems are not well managed. Lastly, we call on all stakeholders to work with ECZ to ensure we continue to promote the education and assessment system of our country,” he added.
On Friday, Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) challenged Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) to state the criteria it used to nullify 8,778 results for GCE and Grade 9 external exams out of the 143,351 candidates who sat for the 2022 external examinations due to malpractices.
ZANEC Executive Director George Hamusunga said it is puzzling that 6.1% of those who sat for the examinations had their results nullified, as this is an indication that there are serious loopholes within the examination system that allow for examination malpractices to occur.
Mr. Hamusunga said it is puzzling that 6.1% of those who sat for the examinations had their results nullified, as this is an indication that there are serious loopholes within the examination system that allow for examination malpractices to occur.
“This begs for serious answers from ECZ as well as school managers on how the examination systems were so porous as to allow so many candidates to be involved in malpractices. It is common knowledge that examinations are seriously invigilated by teachers and security officers in the various examination centres. How then were the pupils able to involve themselves in this malpractice?”
“Furthermore, we would like to know what criteria ECZ used to nullify the results because while it may have been possible for the candidates to have involved themselves in malpractice, nullifying so many results shows that there are serious loopholes within the examination system that allows for examination malpractices to occur. This creates room for doubt on the caliber of school leavers we have in Zambia as well as the standards of examinations we administer in this Country,” Mr. Hamusunga stated.
He called on all Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and stakeholders to put ECZ to task as they are the custodians of exams in the country.
“If we let the authorities heap the blame on the candidates only, we risk failing to address the root causes,” he added.