Honorary doctorate is honorific and not a title

admitting he “was duped” in being conferred with an honorary doctorate from a bogus university, Zwelinzima Vavi should be congratulated for publicly acknowledging it. He teaches our youngsters the value of integrity (Sowetan, April 23).

But the problem is bigger than the issue of bogus universities and honoris causa doctorates. Were these honorary doctorates conferred by registered universities would the so-honoured be entitled to be called Dr So and So?

Would a Sikasu Serunye be qualified to post such a social media caption: “Graduation day. Honour me as Dr

Sikasu Serunye”? Of course not. Why? Simply because an honoris causa doctorate is never a title to be placed before one’s name. It is an honorific only to be used in letters, articles or correspondence as in the following: Ms Sikasu Serunye, PhD, honoris causa, jazz music, etc. (XYZ University).

Established universities do inform their honoured it is an honorific and not a title. If Winnie Mashaba or Danny Jordaan is a doctor, then what do we call a qualified doctor? If the unqualified and the qualified wear the same titles and gowns and caps, how do we distinguish the false from the real? Or is there no difference? Only in a banana republic called Mzansi is such a comedy a reality. Prof Themba Sono, email