
HARARE – Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) presidential hopeful Walter Magaya’s National Diploma in Marketing from the University of South Africa (UNISA) has ignited a storm of controversy online.
The diploma became the subject of scrutiny after Magaya submitted it to the High Court of Zimbabwe to contest his disqualification from the ZIFA presidential race. Magaya was barred from running due to not meeting the required five O-Level passes but argued that ZIFA’s rules allowed for “any equivalent educational level.”
As part of his challenge, Magaya presented a diploma reportedly issued by UNISA in October 2015. However, social media users, including outspoken commentators, quickly raised questions about the document’s authenticity, citing inconsistencies in its format, student number, and qualification code.
Prominent critic Kudzai Mutisi took to X (formerly Twitter) to dissect the alleged flaws in the document. He highlighted that the qualification code, “NDSMN,” was previously used for a phased-out National Diploma in Safety Management and did not align with the marketing diploma Magaya claimed to hold.
Mutisi further pointed out issues with the student number, asserting that it could not be verified as valid, and questioned the authenticity of the signatures on the document. “This is not a National Diploma from UNISA… Folks shouldn’t do these embarrassing things,” he wrote.
Another user, Matigary, directed questions at Magaya’s legal representative, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, challenging him to verify the document’s legitimacy and cautioning against potential perjury.
The controversy has gripped Zimbabweans on social media, with widespread allegations of forgery and calls for an official response from UNISA to clarify the matter.
As the debate continues, the diploma’s authenticity remains under the spotlight, casting a shadow over Magaya’s bid for the ZIFA presidency and raising broader concerns about integrity in public office.
Source: Online