Zimbabwean PhD candidate at UJ expelled for plagiarism

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A University of Johannesburg (UJ) PhD candidate, Norman Shoko, has been found guilty of plagiarism and expelled for three years following a prolonged disciplinary process that left him in limbo for four years.

The theology student faced charges of academic dishonesty in September 2021. This followed the discovery that his thesis contained substantial plagiarised material.

Plagiarism Detection and Findings at UJ

As reported by My Zimbabwe News, the issue arose when Shoko submitted his thesis to UJ’s Turnitin software. Turnitin is a plagiarism detection tool. The software flagged a similarity index of 45%. This indicated that nearly half of his work closely matched existing sources. The university’s disciplinary committee found that Shoko’s thesis incorporated extensive extracts from other academic works, including those of Professor Craffert, without proper citation.

Disciplinary Committee Ruling on Plagiarism

MJ van As, chairperson of the disciplinary committee, concluded that “large portions of the thesis are no more than ‘cut and paste’ extracts from other academic works addressing the central theme of the thesis.” Van As further noted that Shoko’s failure to attribute these excerpts properly amounted to academic fraud, which constitutes plagiarism.

Shoko’s Response to Plagiarism Allegations

Shoko has strongly denied the allegations and is actively contesting the verdict. My Zimbabwe News reports that his legal representative, Advocate Ebenezer Iheanyi, has lodged a petition with UJ’s manager for student ethics and judicial services, challenging both the findings and the severity of the sanction.

Iheanyi argues that the expulsion is disproportionately harsh, particularly in light of Shoko’s willingness to participate in academic integrity programs. “A more rehabilitative approach would be appropriate rather than outright expulsion,” he stated in the petition.

Allegations of Procedural Irregularities

Additionally, Shoko’s legal team has raised concerns over possible conflicts of interest during the disciplinary proceedings. They contend that Van As had a prior professional relationship with the external presenter, which was not adequately disclosed.

Shoko’s Academic Background

A Zimbabwean national and long-time UJ student, Shoko completed his undergraduate degree in 2009, followed by honours and master’s degrees in 2010 and 2019, respectively. He subsequently registered for his PhD with aspirations of pursuing postdoctoral research. In April 2021, he approached the University of Pretoria to explore such opportunities, submitting his draft thesis as part of his inquiry.