Educationists say Zimbabwe’s universities should normally provide the necessary student information for public scrutiny in order to avoid speculation on the awarding of degrees and related documents.
Reacting to the recent graduation of President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace, which is causing a stir in the social media, several educationists said Zimbabweans need to access information about student enrollment and qualifications from public and private universities.
They said if this is not done, some of the degrees being awarded will be degraded in the country and beyond. Mrs. Mugabe was capped by her husband at the University of Zimbabwe on the same day when Vice President Joice Mujuru graduated with a PhD.
Former Deputy Education Secretary Isaac Mpofu told VOA Studio 7 that people need to earn their degrees and not have them “parceled out to individuals”.
Morris Ngwenya, a social studies graduate of the Women University in Africa and Zanu PF activist, said Zimbabwean degrees are still competitive even if some people are challenging the awarding of a PhD to the president’s wife.
The University of Zimbabwe has not yet released information on the enrollment year of the first lady though in most cases students undergo studies at these higher institutes of learning without announcing it.
Some reports indicate that she enrolled at the university in 2011.