Pressure mounts on Mabuyane amid claims of academic fraud
Pressure is mounting on Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane to step down amid allegations of academic fraud at the University of Fort Hare.
Mabuyane is accused of fraudulently submitting a research proposal for a master’s degree in public administration at the university, allegedly with the help of former faculty dean Prof Edwin Ijeoma.
But the premier flatly denied the allegations yesterday, saying he had instructed his legal team to take the matter to court in a bid to clear his name.
News outlet News 24 reported yesterday that Mabuyane, who has an economics degree from the university, allegedly tried to fake his way into a doctoral degree in public administration.
The outlet cited a forensic report commissioned by Fort Hare, which concluded that Mabuyane’s master’s research proposal was “a sham” in that he was allegedly assisted by Ijeoma, a team of research assistants and ghost writers.
Mabuyane vehemently denied the claims.
The EFF, ActionSA, DA and Rise Mzansi have called on him to step down.
“We call for the immediate resignation of Mabuyane,” EFF provincial secretary Simthembile Madikizela said.
“He has [allegedly] committed the highest form of academic fraud and corruption.
“He is not fit to lead the people of the province.”
The party would open a case of fraud and corruption against the premier, he said.
ActionSA’s provincial chair, Athol Trollip, said the allegations demonstrated that Mabuyane was “not fit to serve as Eastern Cape premier as he has perpetually used his office for [alleged] personal gain instead of serving the poorest in the province [who] battle high unemployment and a lack of service delivery”.
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said a premier was meant to lead by example.
“Mabuyane cannot be trusted to lead the fight against corruption when he is implicated in such a shameful act of corruption himself.”
DA leader in the legislature Nqaba Bhanga said Mabuyane should come clean about his relationship with the “tainted” Ijeoma.
“Not only are the allegations extremely serious, but they also raise serious questions about
the ethical conduct of the premier and, left unanswered, bring his term of leadership into serious dispute.
“A special investigation unit report alleges that Mabuyane tried to fake his way into a PhD, with the help of professor Ijeoma and a secret team of ghost writers.
“The premier is just one of many senior ANC public representatives implicated in this qualification scandal,” Bhanga said.
Mabuyane said he was surprised that there was a forensic report on him as he was never approached by the university
to comment on it. He also said he had been trying, without success, to seek an audience with the senate of the university after seeing the allegation in the media.
He said the allegations were a campaign to tarnish his name.
Mabuyane, who does not have an honours degree, said he presented his research proposal for a master’s degree to a team of six academics at the university’s Bhisho campus in
November 2019. After “several corrections”, he presented to the faculty senior higher degree committee in East London in March 2020.
“The premier was admitted and registered to Fort Hare University to study for his MA degree and was further allocated his supervisor, Prof Edwin Ijeoma, by the institution, until his suspension,” Mabuyane’s spokesperson, Zuko Godlimpi, said in a statement yesterday.
“The premier did all his corrections by himself in regular consultation with his supervisor.
“Issues around his research schedules, presentations and feedback were handled by the two university administrators.”
Mabuyane said that after the suspension of Ijeoma, he was allocated a new supervisor and he continued with his studies without any issues raised.
“In 2021, the premier received a letter from the university stating he has been excluded and deregistered as a student of the institution, following a review conducted in respect of students who were supervised by Prof Ijeoma.
“It is important to note that premier Mabuyane was never awarded a postgraduate qualification by UFH or any other institution of higher learning.
“Further to this, he has never applied or expressed an interest to pursue doctoral studies at the UFH,” his office said.
Mabuyane said the allegations were a witch-hunt because he could not be blamed for the weakness in the internal control systems of the university.
He has since instructed his legal advisers to “consider these developments, including the forensic report referred to in the article, with a view to take the matter through the courts”.
“It is the premier’s belief that such a platform will create an opportunity to share his side of the story and defend his reputation, which is tainted by the allegations made in the news report,” Godlimpi said.
University spokesperson JP Roodt said: “The University of Fort Hare confirms that all internal and external investigation reports, as well as physical, forensic and digital evidence, were handed over to the SIU several weeks ago in relation to the serious academic fraud that occurred in the department of public administration at the Bhisho campus, involving public servants and Edwin Ijeoma.”