Most of the affected students are from the Computer Systems department who sat for their final examinations in 2006.
An official in the examinations department at the college, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the institution had initially received the certificates from the then Higher Education Examination Council (HEXCO) and forwarded them to the department for collection by students.
He said the responsible individual in the department is reported to have misplaced the certificates in a computer lab after only a few students had collected them.
But one of the students said after approaching the department several times and in vain, he decided to refer his grievances to HEXCO where he only managed to obtain a duplicate.
After concluding that I was not going to get my certificate I decided to approach the HEXCO offices in Harare. I went through a winding process only to be given a stamped duplicate and an explanation that the original had been issued to the college, he explained.
Another student said he had since given up and was now pursuing a completely different career in refrigeration.
I have lost hope of getting my Computer Systems certificate. I am currently working in South Africa where I have ventured into refrigeration, a career that was never in my plans, he said.
He said he recently approached the department only to be told that the responsible personnel were not on duty.
An official in the exams department however highlighted that an arrangement had been finalised by HEXCO to issue the institution with the missing certificates.
We were supposed to receive the certificates with the 2008 bash but since the arrangements failed we are looking forward to receiving them with the 2009 certificates, he said, adding that the certificates had been misplaced during transit.
Post published in: World News