Leader of PHD Ministries church in Zimbabwe, self-proclaimed prophet Walter Magaya insists he was given a PhD by Unisa, but the university has rubbished the claims.
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The University of South Africa (Unisa) on Wednesday said it has noted with serious concern information in the public domain and a recent video circulating on social media, in which it is purported that a certain Zimbabwean national, Walter Magaya, is a graduate or alumnus of the university.
There is a massive storm over self-proclaimed prophet Magaya, who commands a huge following of congregants in Zimbabwe after his academic qualifications were questioned.
The debacle surrounding Magaya, a charismatic preacher and leader of the PHD Ministries, started when the preacher submitted a photocopied and certified diploma in marketing to the High Court of Zimbabwe, as he fought tooth and nail to be allowed to stand for the plum presidency of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
Magaya had approached courts in Zimbabwe, fighting his disqualification from the ZIFA presidency contest. The Ordinary Level qualification was set as a prerequisite to enter the race, and Magaya had argued that even though he did not have the Ordinary Level, he had a higher qualification from Unisa.
Leader of the PHD Ministries church in Zimbabwe, self-proclaimed prophet Walter Magaya claims he received an honorary PhD from Unisa, an claim which has now been rubbished by the university.
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Last week, Zimbabwe’s high court dismissed Magaya’s court application, stating that Magaya’s application lacked merit.
The purported Unisa diploma, bearing the certification of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the South African Police Service, started circulating on social media platforms and questions were being raised about its authenticity.
Unisa was contacted by veteran United Kingdom-based journalist Maynard Manyowa, who submitted a query on Magaya’s qualifications.
United Kingdom-based journalist Maynard Manyowa contacted Unisa seeking clarity over Zimbabwean tycoon Walter Magaya's qualifications.
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Unisa said there was no trace of Magaya on their records.
“Responding to a media query from a certain international media platform, the university confirmed that, based on the information provided by the said media platform, the system of the university could not find any record showing that Mr Magaya was ever registered or graduated with Unisa,” the institution commented.
“This effectively means that Unisa does not have Mr Magaya either as a student or a graduate. Any certificate/s he produces which he claims to be from Unisa is/are therefore fraudulent.”
In a video circulating online, Magaya claims he was awarded an honorary PhD by Unisa in appreciation of his philanthropic work. Several Zimbabwean publications previously ran stories of Magaya being awarded a PhD by Unisa, as far back as 2017.
Last week, respected businessman-cum-football administrator Nqobile Magwizi was voted as the new president of the Zimbabwe Football Association.
Magaya, an entrepreneur-cum-prophet owns Yadah Stars football club in Harare, which is currently playing in Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL
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