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A former headteacher at Matero Boys Secondary School has testified before the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court, shedding light on the mysterious disappearance of over K700,000 meant for General Certificate of Education (GCE) exam fees.
Samuel Chipo, 57, told the court that the school discovered only two candidates were officially registered for the 2025 GCE exams, despite more than 600 students reportedly having paid their fees.
The missing funds—amounting to K717,600—included payments for centre fees, practicals, ID cards, and exam fees.
The accused in the matter, Reverend Elifas Banda, a teacher and clergyman with the Reformed Church in Zambia, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft by public servant.
At the time, Banda served as the GCE centre coordinator at Matero Boys and was responsible for candidate registration and payment processing.
Chipo testified that Banda initially demonstrated diligence and commitment when he joined the school in 2017.
He was later promoted to guidance officer and exam centre coordinator, roles which placed him in charge of registering GCE candidates and managing their payments.
At a review meeting held on January 17, 2025, Chipo requested a report on funds collected between October 2024 and January 2025.
Banda reported collecting K44,600, which Chipo instructed him to deposit into the school’s account. However, Banda soon became evasive.
On March 6, 2025, the Lusaka District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) informed Chipo that only two students from Matero Boys had been officially registered for the exams.
Shocked by the revelation, Chipo tried to reach Banda, who eventually responded via WhatsApp, admitting that only two students had been registered. Banda also claimed he was traveling to West Africa and ominously warned Chipo to “prepare answers” for the questions that would follow.
Chipo immediately reported the issue to DEBS and began working with colleagues to retrieve deleted registration data. An internal audit later revealed that 629 students had been pre-registered, but payment records existed for only two. It also emerged that Banda’s user account had been used to delete critical data from the system.
To remedy the situation, school administrators withdrew K335,000 from the General Purpose Fund (GPF) to cover the outstanding exam fees. A new user account was created to access the ECZ portal and complete the registration process. The full amount required to register all candidates was later confirmed at K717,600.
Following these developments, Chipo reported the matter to both DEBS and the police, prompting a manhunt for Banda. He was eventually apprehended in Mbala, Northern Province.
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