FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe’s doctorate degree has sharply divided student unions with one group, aligned to Zanu PF, giving it a thumbs-up while its rival described the qualification as bogus. Everson Mushava Chief Reporter
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)-linked Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (Zinasu) last week lashed out at Grace’s PhD, describing it as dubiously awarded. But its rival, Zimbabwe College Students’ Union (Zicosu), praised the First Lady for scaling new professional heights. Zicosu is sympathetic to the ruling Zanu PF.
Yesterday, Zicosu secretary-general Leopold Chakanyuka labelled his rivals as myopic, saying the First Lady deserved the accolade. “Am worried by the kind of some youth leaders we are having today, Zinasu has shown us how ignorant and immature they are, they want to politicise everything speaking the MDC-T language,” Chakanyuka said.
“Can these so-called student leaders do a proper investigation and prove to me by showing me any other research or topic similar to what Dr Mugabe did? She is the first person to do it, and she has proved to be a genius and an authority in that field. Well done Dr Mugabe.”
Grace was awarded a doctorate degree by the University of Zimbabwe last month in a move that has set tongues wagging with several academics questioning the criteria used in awarding her the accolade.
Her critics have accused authorities at the University of Zimbabwe of awarding the degree to please President Robert Mugabe, adding that the move was likely to tarnish the institution’s academic image.
But Chakanyuka said: “The University of Zimbabwe should not go around defending Dr Mugabe’s degree, who else has ever showed us his or her thesis? We are having a big problem with the so-called learned people who got free degrees from some universities.
“We are greatly shocked by some people who are attacking the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe for her hard-earned degree. Dr Mugabe has proved to be a hard worker. With or without a degree she has proved to be a hard worker. Go to Mazowe right now and see the great works she is doing, work that even professors will not do in their entire lifetime. That alone qualifies her to be an authority in that field.”
