University breaks silence, says Grace Mugabe’s PhD fake

University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Sociology has broken its silence concerning the award of a PhD to ex-First Lady Grace Mugabe, saying the qualification was fake and earned without the department’s knowledge or involvement.

The department has since engaged Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights which has written to UZ Vice Chancellor Prof. Levi Nyagura, compelling him to revoke the doctorate degree and nullify it immediately.

The institution is also expected to make a public statement concerning the revocation.

The Sociology Department Board said the requisite procedures were not followed and there was a complete disregard of university rules, processes and procedures.

“The candidate was therefore not subjected to the processes, conditions, and standards demanded of all other doctoral candidates within the Department and indeed within the University.

“The Sociology Department Board was not privy to these acts of omissions and commissions, save for the Acting Chairperson of the Board, Prof. Claude Mararike, who was apparently the candidate’s supervisor,” the letter of demand reads.

The Sociology Department Board also claims that the quality of the final product was not controlled by qualified professionals, “if at all research was conducted to warrant conferment of such a degree.”