Unisa takes legal action against Prophet Magaya

The University of South Africa (Unisa), the largest open distance learning institution in Africa, has announced legal action against controversial Zimbabwean Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) cleric Walter Magaya for falsely claiming to be its graduate or alumnus. The institution has categorically stated that Magaya has never been a student or graduate of Unisa, dismissing his assertions as fraudulent and misleading.

According to Unisa, Magaya has been publicly claiming to possess both an honorary PhD and a diploma from the institution, despite there being no official record of his enrollment or graduation. His repeated claims have now prompted the university to take decisive legal steps to protect its reputation.

In response to media inquiries, Unisa issued an official statement clarifying its position:

"The University of South Africa (Unisa) notes with serious concern information doing the rounds in the public domain as well as in a recent video circulating on social media, where it is purported that a certain Zimbabwean national, Walter Magaya, is a graduate or alumnus of the university.

Responding to a media query from a certain international media platform, the university confirmed that, based on the information provided by the said media platform, the system of the university could not find any record showing that Mr. Magaya was ever registered or graduated with Unisa.

This effectively means that Unisa does not have Mr. Magaya either as a student or a graduate. Any certificate/s he produces which he claims to be from Unisa is/are therefore fraudulent."

Furthermore, Unisa addressed claims that Magaya had been awarded an honorary doctorate by the institution. The university refuted these assertions, stating:

"Subsequent to the issuing of the media response, the university also came across a video clip in the social media domain, wherein Mr. Magaya also claims to have received an honorary doctorate from Unisa.

The university has never conferred any honorary doctorate on Mr. Magaya and strongly condemns this false claim. We believe that conduct of this nature damages and brings our brand into disrepute, and we reserve the right to take appropriate corrective action. Relevant authorities within the university have therefore been requested to take necessary legal action in this regard."

Magaya, who is known for his controversial religious activities and claims of miraculous healings, has yet to respond to Unisa's legal move. The university remains firm in its commitment to maintaining its academic integrity and protecting its institutional credibility from fraudulent claims.