Sunday World exclusive
Probe will clear any wronged individual
“The SIU getting involved is nice because it is not when you make a lot of noise about an issue that it becomes a reality. If somebody accuses you of being a thief and criminal and fraudster, that does not make you that until it is proven.
“The court, law enforcement and the SIU will do their job. And they do their job with available evidence, not because somebody’s name is in newspapers or social media. They work with concrete evidence. It is a welcome development. And it does not matter what everybody says, there is still law in South Africa.”
Ijeoma said he had already been approached by the SIU for his version of events, which he has provided. He also told the SIU officers to not hesitate to contact him if they need further information.
Ijeoma believes that the controversy has been a political ploy to scupper the rise of Mabuyane within the South African body politic power base.
In his view, the timing of the stories questioning the credibility of Mabuyane’s admission for the master’s degree says it all.
Blames political involvement in the issue
“It looks like the leadership of Fort Hare had all these things planned out. Remember this thing started when the premier (Mabuyane) was about to go for second term in the ANC. So there were divisions,” said Ijeoma.
“They failed because he got the second term (in 2022). But they continued to write to see to it that the ANC loses its virtue in the Eastern Cape. So it was a long-term agenda, but I do not know why I should be part of this.”
Ijeoma says Mabuyane followed the process followed by all students before enrolment, which involved many people from the office of the registrar until the selections committee.
It was thus disturbing, he said, that the issue was pinned on him when not a single individual has such power to manipulate all the steps of registration to favour a student.
“Oscar Mabuyane is but just one of the students that I got involved with at the University of Fort Hare. There were so many of them. Perhaps his political position made some of his opponents to begin to target him. And the way to get that was through Professor Ijeoma.”
Not having an honour’s degree is no issue
Mabuyane not having an honour’s degree, he said, was no issue. Because it was standard practice for students to get admitted at master’s degree level with junior degrees through recognition of prior learning.
“He (Mabuyane) is qualified to be admitted at that master’s level. Every university in South Africa can admit somebody to do master’s degree after junior degree through recognition of prior learning. And the policy is that it can be done before or after admission. But the student must go through it before graduation.”
Ijeoma says it was also interesting that the frenzy on fake qualifications had started with former Buffalo City councillor and ex-MEC Sindiswa Gomba and others. And as soon as Mabuyane’s name came up, they were all abandoned, and the focus was the premier.
Premier targeted
“To me it was a surprise that they were talking about councillor Gomba and others, but when Mabuyane’s name came up, they abandoned everyone and focused on Mabuyane. Why would the premier of the Eastern Cape become the target? That is the question. When they did not get any evidential material, they went to the press, when they should have gone to the police.”
*The full interview with Professor Ijeoma will premiere this evening at 6.pm on the Sunday World News YouTube channel
