Lundazi Central Independent member of parliament Lawrence Nyirenda says he sat for General Certificate Education (GCE) Grade 12 examinations this year to upgrade his results.

This is amidst his election being challenged in the Constitutional Court by 2016 Lundazi constituency losing independent candidate Bizwayo Nkunika, who petitioned the Court to declare the parliamentary seat vacant, alleging that the current Independent member of parliament did not hold a full Grade 12 certificate.

But Nyirenda, however, admitted to News Diggers! that he sat to re-write his Grade 12 GCE exams this year at Lundazi Boarding School in order to upgrade his results.

“Good afternoon, Diggers! Yes, I sat for G12 GCE 2019 just to upgrade my subjects and I upgraded them to the grades of credits and merits. Qualification for MP to contest the election is to have a G12 certificate or its equivalent,” Nyirenda responded.

And according to a transcript of his GCE results on exam number 79414500, Nyirenda achieved the following grades: “Eng 6; CVCEDU 6; RE 7; Maths 9 and Bio 5.”

According to the court record, Nyirenda submitted that during the 2016 general elections, all his qualifications were certified as per instruction from ECZ and that the commission was satisfied.

He explained that ECZ Lundazi Constituency presiding officer George Banda returned his Grade 12 certificate to him because his tertiary certificates were enough for him to contest the elections.

“ECZ, Lundazi Constituency presiding officer Mr George Banda received all my five certificates and he was satisfied with them according to Electoral Commission of Zambia qualification requirements. He categorised my qualifications into two parts, that is ‘my Grade 12 certificate belonged to part A’ and my tertiary certificates belonged to part ‘B’,” stated Nrirenda in June 2019 during a hearing.

“He collected all the four tertiary certificates and recorded them on the same ECZ form under part ‘B’, as for my grade 12 certificate he returned it to me and said all the tertiary certificates were enough for me to contest the elections thus no provision has been violated.”