Zimbabwe University Vice Chancellor 'Threatens To Fire Staff Over Grace Mugabe's PhD' - Report

Vice chancellor of Zimbabwe's leading university has reportedly threatened to fire his staff over former first lady Grace Mugabe's controversially awarded doctorate, which is now the subject of a fraud investigation.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer, Wilbert Sadomba, claimed that Vice Chancellor Levi Nyagura recently called the university staff from the social studies department to a meeting and threatened to sake those that "have raised questions around the degree awarded to Grace.

Zimbabwe University Vice Chancellor 'Threatens To Fire Staff Over Grace Mugabe's PhD' - Report

The former first lady was capped by her husband, then president Robert Mugabe, in August 2014 when he was still chancellor of the university. She appeared in the red academic gown and black cap for the doctorate of philosophy degree beside the then vice president, Joice Mujuru, who also received a doctorate.

At the time Grace was reported to have enrolled for the doctorate just three months before it was awarded. Prominent graduates of the university, which has a distinguished track record, were outraged. The late Zimbabwean author, Chenjerai Hove at the time wrote to the university’s vice chancellor, Levi Nyagura saying the university’s decision to give a doctorate to Grace had reduced its degrees to "a laughing stock".

Four years after Grace obtained the PhD, the university published the thesis on Wednesday last week.
"We saw the thesis on the website (late on Wednesday)... the question is why it took four years to publish," said Ashley Munetsi, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Students' Union.

Zimbabwean anti-corruption investigators said last month they were probing whether Grace fraudulently obtained the degree.

The 226-page doctoral thesis was titled "The Changing Social Structure and Functions of the Family".