Another Mpilo Student Nurse Arrested Over Forged ZIMSEC Certificate

Another Mpilo Student Nurse Arrested Over Forged ZIMSEC Certificate

Another student nurse from Mpilo Central Hospital has been arrested for using a forged Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) certificate to gain entry into its nursing school.

The case comes just days after a similar arrest at the institution, raising fresh concerns about how fraudulent applicants are slipping through the admission process.

Also Read: Fake Nurse Arrested For Forging Certificates At Mpilo Hospital

Thelma Gurupira in Court

On Monday, 23-year-old Thelma Gurupira of Mbare, Harare, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba facing charges of fraudulently tendering fake academic qualifications.

According to prosecutor Sibusisiwe Sithole, Gurupira submitted a forged ZIMSEC certificate in 2017, claiming six Ordinary Level passes she did not actually have.

Acting on the document, Mpilo School of Nursing enrolled her in 2022 for a three-year programme. She has been training as a student nurse since then.

Gurupira, represented by lawyer Tanaka Muganyi of Tanaka Law Chambers, was remanded out of custody on free bail.

Recent Case of Another Trainee Nurse

Her arrest follows the high-profile case of 25-year-old Sandra Kudzaishe Ndege of Murehwa, who also appeared before the same court last week. Ndege is accused of forging an O-Level certificate with eight passes, including Mathematics, Science, and English, despite twice failing her exams.

Investigations later revealed she only managed four passes across two sittings, but the forged document reflected top grades. Using the fake certificate, she secured a place at Mpilo in 2023 and drew a monthly salary of about US$300 until the fraud was detected this July when her results were sent to ZIMSEC for verification.

Verification Unravels the Scheme

Officials confirmed that Ndege’s certificate was a forgery, prompting an immediate investigation and her arrest. She has since pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail.

The back-to-back arrests have cast a shadow over Mpilo’s recruitment process, with growing calls for stricter vetting of academic documents submitted by aspiring nurses.