Cape Town – The University of South Africa (Unisa) has rejected claims made by the leader of PHD Ministries church in Zimbabwe and self-proclaimed “prophet” Walter Magaya, that he graduated from the institution and received an honorary doctorate.
Magaya’s statements, which gained attention in local and international media, were dismissed by Unisa as false.
In a video circulating on social media, Magaya asserts that he received an honorary PhD from Unisa in recognition of his charitable efforts.
Various Zimbabwean media outlets had reported on Magaya being awarded a PhD by Unisa, with some articles dating back to 2017.
But the university confirmed it had no record of Magaya ever being registered or graduating with them, and any certificates he produced were deemed fraudulent.
“The University of South Africa (Unisa)notes with serious concern information doing the rounds in the public domain as well as in a recent video circulating on social media, where it is purported that a certain Zimbabwean national Walter Magaya, is a graduate or alumnus of the university.
Unisa refutes claims that Walter Magaya is a graduate or alumnus of the university. https://t.co/6Ps4xQ90rq pic.twitter.com/6mgcLc2Mmh
— Unisa (@unisa) January 29, 2025
“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,” said the institution in a staement.
It added: “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.”
According to reports, the controversy arose when Magaya submitted a diploma in marketing to the Zimbabwe High Court as part of his legal battle for reinstatement in the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) presidential race.
Magaya claimed his qualifications should meet Zifa’s requirements, but Unisa’s records did not support his claims.
Magaya’s application to contest the Zifa presidency was dismissed by the Zimbabwe High Court last week.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
