Chegutu West MP Shackmore Wellington Timburwa does not hold a PhD in International Relations from the University of South Africa (UNISA), contrary to his assertions, as revealed by We Dug Up.
Investigations conducted by UK-based Zimbabwean journalist Maynard Manyowa and his team uncovered that Timburwa never graduated with the doctorate he claimed to possess.
In 2023, Timburwa, a member of ZANU PF, announced his purported academic achievement on LinkedIn. However, this post has since been deleted. He wrote at the time:
<blockquote>
It’s official – I’ve crossed the finish line and earned my Doctorate in International Relations! At the age of 31-years-old. The culmination of years of hard work, late nights and endless research. Ready to tackle the world’s challenges with this new title and knowledge in hand!
</blockquote>
However, in a post on X, Manyowa said that We Dug Up uncovered the degree to be fraudulent. The exposé alleges that Timburwa was approached by the controversial figure Isaiah Brian Sovi, who purportedly offered assistance in securing a PhD from UNISA. Wrote Manyowa:
<blockquote>
On 3 November, 2023. Shacky posts that he has graduated with a PhD in International Relations. He says this is “the culmination of years of hard work”. He boasts of his title ‘Dr’ aged just 31.
But, none of it was true. It was bogus.
This is what had really happened:
Shacky travelled to South Africa, paid a conman, bought a gown, went to the UNISA campus, and participated in a sham graduation where they all pretended to be getting PhDs. He takes pics…
It is all bogus though. Shacky did not enrol for a PhD at UNISA, or at any other university. He did not conduct any research nor did he graduate anywhere.
But how did this happen? How did he get to this point.
Well, it all starts in 2020. In the heat of lockdown.
A Zambian pastor, Isiaih Brian Sovi, claims to have graduated from UNISA with a PHD. @Mwebantu 
disappointingly helps spread that fake story. But in their defence, nobody knows at the time that Sovi’s PHD is fake.
Anyways, in 2023 Sovi offers to help Shacky get the same PhD.
Shacky agrees. He goes through the same process but in 2024, we catch on to the scam. We put these allegations to him. He admits straight away that he doesn’t have a PhD and says he was scammed. He says he realised this the very day. And he even confronted Sovi about it – he says.
But there is a problem. Between 2023 and 2025 Shacky continues to use the title Dr. It appears on his website, his socials and flyers. We smell a rat, so we continue digging. Then we discover the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Nothing makes sense and we soon find it was a paid curation.
We also find that on Wikipedia, Shacky is listed as having completed his Law degree in 2023. However, our investigation finds that he is still a student. We track down the person who was paid to do his Wikipedia. He tells us he wrote what Shacky told him to write.
Shacky maintains he was scammed. But we notice, he was scammed out of an honorary degree. He in turn claimed he had graduated. No satisfactory answer is provided for this. We also ask why he was paying for a doctorate to begin with. The responses are equally elusive.
</blockquote>

Pindula News

Shacky Timburwa, a politician, claimed to have a PhD from UNISA, but it is fake. He paid for a fake degree in 2023 and continued to use the title "Dr." even after realizing he was scammed. Another person, Isaiah Brian Sovi, helped him get the fake degree. Timburwa's Wikipedia page also has false information. Timburwa says he was scammed, but it is unclear why he paid for a doctorate in the first place. This shows that Timburwa lied about having a PhD.

Shacky Timburwa Exposed In Alleged Fake UNISA PhD Scandal

The University of South Africa (UNISA) has dismissed claims by Mandisa Mashego, a former EFF member, that it is under investigation for issuing fake degrees.
In a podcast, Mandisa said UNISA was “becoming like these Nigerian universities”.
She also claimed that the institution was being investigated for fake degrees, for people who sit and write exams for others or even do the entire curriculum for them.
In a statement released on 01 April 2023, UNISA demanded that Mandisa apologise and withdraw her utterances, saying it reserved the right to also legally challenge the leader of Abantu Batho Congress. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
The University of South Africa (Unisa) has taken note of the interview by Penuel “The Black Pen” with Mandisa Mashego who made unjustified and unsubstantiated statements that Unisa is currently under investigation for fake degrees, for people writing curriculum for others, for running classes, for corruption and “Lot of things”.
She also likened Unisa to some “Nigerian universities” that she alleges have no legitimacy (though they are accredited).
Unisans and the rest of the University community should dismiss the misleading utterances of Ms. Mashego with the contempt they deserve.
Unisa’s academic integrity, credibility, legitimacy, and stature are not in doubt. The university continues to shape futures of various people across the world including leaders of various sectors of society. I
t makes a tremendous contribution to the higher education sector by graduating around a third of all graduates in South Africa.
As a public institution of higher learning that is governed by a range of applicable rules and regulations including those relating to quality assurance and accreditation; we remain in focused in supporting and promoting the academic project of our university and strive to improve student support that enhances their positive experience of Unisa.
Having said that, Unisa calls upon Ms. Mashego to withdraw her utterances and apologise to Unisa. The university reserves the right to also challenge Ms. Mashego legally.
</blockquote>
UNISA is reported to be the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment has over 400 000 students, including international students from 130 countries worldwide.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200009522/ed-demands-re-run-in-violence-hotspots">Pindula News</a>

UNISA Denies Fake Degrees Claim

The Constitutional Court yesterday dismissed an application by Levi Nyagura.
Nyagura approached the apex court citing infringement of constitutional rights to a fair trial. However the Constitutional Court ruled the matter should proceed to trial. The ConCourt upheld a decision by Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube barring Nyagura to approach the apex court. The judges said if Nyagura felt the ruling was wrong, he should have filed an appeal to redress the decision.
In dismissing, Nyagura’s application Chief Justice Luke Malaba ruled the applicant had invoked a wrong remedy to challenge the decision by a magistrates’ court at the apex court. Nyagura is accused of illegally awarding former First Lady Grace Mugabe a PhD.
More: <a href="https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/03/07/fresh-setback-for-nyagura">Daily News</a>

Grace Mugabe PhD Case Should Proceed To Trial- ConCourt

Former President Robert Mugabe defended his wife Grace Mugabe’s doctorate degree in an interview with ITV News Africa Correspondent John Ray.
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Mugabe has disputed claims that his wife Grace Mugabe was awarded a PhD by the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) without writing a thesis saying such claims were only meant to tarnish his wife’s image. He said that he used to go through her papers which were well researched. Said Mugabe:
<blockquote>They have tried to tarnish my wife even to the extent of saying the degree she got hard work…I used to go through her papers and I think you can count on me to know what is a good paper and what is a bad paper.</blockquote>
UZ vice-chancellor Levi Nyagura was arrested on abuse of office charges for awarding the former first lady a doctorate degree in 2014. He is expected back in court on April 5.

Mugabe Speaks On Grace's PhD

The Herald reports that the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Council has suspended Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura on allegations of abuse of office after he allegedly unprocedurally awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree to former First Lady Grace Mugabe. Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Pedzisai Mashiri has been appointed to act as the Vice Chancellor.
Nyagura was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on February 16 this year. Nyagura who has been defiant about the degree had gone as far as threatening lecturers from the university’s Faculty of Social Studies Department of Sociology with dismissal for disowning and challenging the awarding of the degree. <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2018/02/17/uz-boss-levi-nyagura-granted-bail-grace-mugabe-phd-case-zacc-demands-paper-trail/">He was granted $200 bail when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Tilda Mazhande</a>. Nyagura was represented by Advocate Lewis Uriri and insisted that he is innocent of the abuse of office charge that he is facing. Nyagura was also ordered to surrender his passport, reside at his given address and not to interfere with state witnesses. The witnesses are Professor Gaidzanwa, Doctor Sadomba, Dr Mandizvidza, Dr Ruparaganda, Dr Musevenzi and Professor Mugani.
ZACC is reported to have demanded the “paper trail” showing Grace Mugabe’s registration papers and academic progression. <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2018/02/19/uz-lecturer-faces-arrest-grace-mugabe-phd/">ZACC is also investigating UZ lecturer Professor Claude Mararike who </a><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2018/02/19/uz-lecturer-faces-arrest-grace-mugabe-phd/">was one of Grace Mugabe’s supervisors</a>. Goodson Nguni the ZACC chair in charge of the investigations committee, said <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2018/02/22/robert-grace-mugabe-will-not-arrested/">Grace and her husband Robert Mugabe will not be arrested</a>. Grace was awarded the degree when her husband, former president Robert Mugabe was the chancellor of all state universities while current Minister of Environment, Water and Climate and Zanu-PF National Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.

UZ Boss Levi Nyagura Suspended Over Grace Mugabe PhD

University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura has criticised lecturers in the Department of Sociology for challenging the awarding of a doctorate to former first lady Grace Mugabe.
In an interview with The Herald yesterday, Nyagura responded to demands by 10 lecturers for UZ to revoke Mrs Mugabe’s PhD and said PhD students were supervised by the post-graduate centre and not a teaching department. Said Nyagura:
<blockquote>There is no way that they could have supervised the candidate because a doctorate is not done by a teaching department. It is done by a post-graduate centre.</blockquote>
He dismissed allegations that the thesis was not in the library until this year. Prof Nyagura claimed the thesis was deposited at the university library in 2014. He said Mrs Mugabe’s thesis was supervised by two professors, who also supervised former Vice President Joice Mujuru. In relation to Professor Mararike’s appointment, Nyagura said the position required a candidate with traceable academic credentials, which the whole department lacked. Said Nyagura:
<blockquote>Whoever is challenging the appointment of Professor Mararike is ignorant of the University’s ordinance laws, which is why maybe they are not Professors. The laws say ‘may’ consult not ‘must’ consult.</blockquote>
He said the university was ready to defend its position should the lecturers consider taking a legal route. <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2018/01/05/uz-sociology-dept-disowns-graces-phd-uz-lecturers-face-arrest-zacc/">Earlier in the year, 10 lecturers from the department of sociology petitioned Nyagura to revoke and nullify Grace Mugabe’s doctorate arguing that it was awarded unprocedurally. </a>
More: <a href="http://www.herald.co.zw/nyagura-blasts-dept-over-grace-mugabe-phd/">Herald</a>

UZ Boss Blasts Lecturers For Questioning Grace Mugabe's "Bogus" PhD

Speaking to The Standard, Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo said the government will soon introduce a law that will punish people receiving degrees from unaccredited institutions. This comes after Cabinet has approved policy principles for the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Bill, 2017.
Said Moyo:
<blockquote>The Bill seeks to regulate under one law, all the country’s academic and policy institutions in higher and tertiary education, science and technology development, which currently total 46 and which are regulated by some 23 constitutive legal instruments. One of the principles approved by Cabinet is that it should be a criminal offence for anyone to offer, seek, purchase or receive a fake degree. The practice of offering, seeking, purchasing or receiving fake degrees is aggravated by the fact that education is Zimbabwe’s comparative advantage and is of strategic value to the country in the national interest.Therefore, persons who offer, seek, purchase or receive fake degrees threaten and harm Zimbabwe’s national interest with respect to education whose international reputation ranks among the best.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2017/04/16/jail-time-fake-degree-holders/">Standard</a>

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