Official in plagiarism probe stands down
A KZN correctional services official facing a probe over claims he plagiarised his Master’s degree has resigned.
|||Durban - A high-ranking KwaZulu-Natal Correctional Services official facing an investigation over claims he plagiarised his Master’s degree has resigned, citing personal reasons.
Sources in the department had alleged in February that Laurence Zikhali, 56, the acting area commissioner: Durban management area, “borrowed a large amount” of material from the work of an academic in his thesis for his University of Zululand (Unizulu) degree.
When the matter was brought to the attention of the university, it undertook to investigate.
Dr Joel Sifiso Mbatha, from whose work the material was allegedly “borrowed”, was reluctant at the time to get involved.
However, he admitted to helping Zikhali in 2005.
Zikhali obtained his Master’s degree in Public Administration through Unizulu in 2005, while Mbatha received his in the same discipline through Unisa in 2002.
His research topic was “The Ethical Dimensions of Transparency in the Public Sector”, while Zikhali’s was titled “The Ethics of Transparency in the Public Sector”.
On Thursday a source alerted the Daily News to Zikhali’s resignation, and to the availability of a preliminary report into the investigation by the university.
The report highlights areas in Zikhali’s thesis where material was copied verbatim or with some minor alterations from Mbatha’s work.
The resignation letter by Zikhali, dated March 17, provided “my personal reasons” as the basis of his resignation. The department confirmed receipt of the letter. However, the authenticity of the university report purportedly by Professor Dev Tewari, the university dean, addressed to the registrar and dated March 9, could not be confirmed by the time of publication
It said Zikhali did not cover all of the scope of work of Mbatha’s document. He only changed the introduction and conclusion “but in his introduction there are paragraphs that he took from Mbatha’s document”, read the report. When Zikhali was contacted on Friday to confirm his resignation, he hung up.
Subsequent attempts were unsuccessful. The source said Zikhali had achieved his promotion to his current level based on the qualifications.
“It is strange that after the scandal was made public he was left alone until this stage where he is able to decide to resign. I understand he has been called to the university on Friday where he will face a committee handling this investigation.”
In a response from Correctional Services on Monday, department spokesperson, Thulani Mdluli, said: “The Department can confirm receipt of a resignation letter from director Zikhali. The department has not made any determination in this regard as the university has not pronounced its investigation.”
Daily News