Investigations Editor
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is not investigating former First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe over allegations of fraudulently acquiring a PhD from the University of Zimbabwe, an official has said. Zacc head of investigations Mr Goodson Nguni said while a complaint was filed, the anti-graft body had not opened official investigations against Dr Mugabe.
“There is no investigation regarding the PhD. We received a complaint but there is no probe,” he said.
The UZ awarded Dr Mugabe a PhD in 2014 but there have been questions over the short time in which she reportedly completed her research. The dissertation is not available in the UZ library. Doctoral theses are usually published by universities and Dr Mugabe’s dissertation, which was based on the theme of “changing social structure and the functions of the family”, has not been made public.
Last week, there were reports that Dr Mugabe was under Zacc investigation after the UZ Sociology Department reportedly asked the anti-corruption body to probe the PhD.
UZ students last year refused to write examinations as they demanded the institution strip Dr Mugabe of the “bogus” PhD. The examinations were postponed.