Zimbabwean Woman Sentenced for Using Fake O’ Level Certificate to Study in Ukraine
A 29-year-old Zimbabwean woman has been convicted after she used a forged ZIMSEC Ordinary Level certificate to secure a place at a university in Ukraine.
Her arrest exposed a wider certificate forgery syndicate.
Fake Results Landed Student a Spot in Dental School
Cindy Mutswatiwa, who had passed only three subjects at Ordinary Level, admitted in court that she submitted a forged ZIMSEC certificate showing seven passes.
This allowed her to enrol in a Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme at a Ukrainian university, where she advanced to her third year before the fraud came to light.
Sentenced to Prison and Community Service
Appearing before the Harare Magistrates’ Court, Mutswatiwa was sentenced to 24 months in prison. However, 12 months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour. The remaining 12 months were set aside if she completes 420 hours of community service.
Syndicate Suspected Behind Forgery
Investigators revealed that Mutswatiwa was not acting alone but was part of a larger network allegedly producing and authenticating fake academic documents.
The alleged accomplices include:

Molyn Mugodi (41): accused of producing the counterfeit certificate
Kundai Mutape (39): an education consultant who reportedly facilitated the scheme
Malvern Nengomasha (32): a diplomatic courier suspected of arranging authentication through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The three are facing separate charges and remain under investigation for their roles in the syndicate
- Warns on Impact to Education Credibility
In a statement condemning the crime, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stressed that forgery of educational qualifications undermines Zimbabwe’s education system.
“Forgery of educational qualifications not only damages personal integrity, but it undermines the credibility of Zimbabwe’s education system. Institutions, both local and abroad, must be confident in the authenticity of our certificates. The justice system will continue to expose and penalize such dishonesty,” the NPA said.
