KEY POINTS
- ZACC is investigating Walter Magaya over a fake UNISA diploma.
- UNISA denies awarding Magaya any degree or honorary doctorate.
- ZIFA and the High Court have been asked to submit documents.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has opened a fraud investigation into Walter Magaya after the University of South Africa (UNISA) confirmed that the diploma he presented to ZIFA and the High Court was fake.
Magaya had submitted a photocopied and certified marketing diploma, claiming he earned it from UNISA. This was part of his attempt to challenge his disqualification from the ZIFA presidential race, where he failed to meet the minimum requirement of five Ordinary Level passes. Magaya argued that he was overqualified.
The fake diploma was certified and stamped as a true copy of the original by the Officer in Charge at Waterfalls Police Station in Harare.
UNISA denies any affiliation with Magaya
In response to the allegations, UNISA issued a statement denying that Magaya had ever graduated from the institution or received an honorary doctorate, as he had claimed for years.
“The university has never conferred any honorary doctorate on Mr. Magaya and strongly condemns this false claim,” UNISA stated.
The university also threatened legal action, saying that false claims about its degrees damage its reputation.
“We believe that conduct of this nature damages and brings our brand into disrepute and we reserve the right to take appropriate corrective action,” UNISA added.
ZACC requests documents for fraud case
According to documents seen by New Zimbabwe, ZACC wrote to ZIFA on January 31, requesting all documents Magaya submitted during his presidential campaign application.
ZACC also reached out to the Judicial Services Commission, asking for records of Magaya’s High Court application, where he challenged ZIFA’s decision to disqualify him from the elections.
The commission confirmed that these documents would facilitate their fraud investigation.
With ZACC, UNISA, and ZIFA now involved, Magaya could face legal consequences if found guilty of presenting a fraudulent qualification.
