Delivering his keynote address during the national Defence Forces Day commemorations at the National Sports Stadium on Tuesday, President Robert Mugabe disputed Jonathan Moyo’s claims that Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Constantino Chiwenga’s PhD is fake by applauding him for undertaking research.
Earlier this year, Moyo had claimed that Chiwenga had his PhD thesis written for him. Said Mugabe:
Kareko vaiita shungu vaingoitawo dzokuita madegree pawo vega asi kune vakabudirira. Commander wepamusorosoro vaChiwenga ava ndiDr Chiwenga. Vakaita doctorate yakaisvonaka yekuti munoverenga vanenge vachienda kumauniversity. Ndozvazvinoitwa kana waita research yakadaro kumauniversities vanenge vanayowo. Unokwanisa kukumbira kuti chimbotipai tione, ini ndinenge ndirikuita zvakafanana nezvakaitwa nangana. Wokumbira unopihwa. Ndomaitirwo anoita research. Kana ivowo pachavo dzimwe nguva vangade kuti research yakadaro izova book chairo rinoprintwa richiverengwa nevazhinji, saka manga musina kumbovati makorokoto. Atova makore ndofunga maviri vaine degree iroro. Tinovimba nazvo izvi zvikuru. Let others follow the example, kudzidza hakupere. (Their (Defence Forces) top most commander is Dr Chiwenga. He did an excellent doctorate. One that those going to universities can even request and go through. It is allowed. That is how researches are done. Even he himself may even consider publishing his research into a book which can be printed and read by many. So you had not yet congratulated him (Chiwenga). It is now two years since he attained the degree…Let the others follow the example.)
More: Herald, NewZimbabwe.com