Publication: Cape Argus
Issued:
Date: 2008-03-03
Reporter: Sapa
It is a clear case of plagiarism, the University of KwaZulu-Natal insists.
Nonsense, is the response of the Shamim "Chippy"
Shaik's family after being told he had been stripped of a doctorate in
mechanical engineering.
Last week the university announced that Shaik had been stripped of his doctorate
degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). This was done without
reasons being given, his brother and lawyer, Yunis Shaik, said.
In a statement for and on behalf of Shaik, Yunis said: "The senate passed a
resolution on February 28 to withdraw the degree awarded to Dr Shamim Shaik. To
date, no reasons and the evidence in support thereof have been given ..."
Last year, media reported that "more than two-thirds" of Shaik's 2003 PhD in
mechanical engineering from the then-University of Natal had been plagiarised
and an inquiry had been set up.
Shaik has repeatedly denied the allegations, but yesterday, the Sunday Times
revealed that Shaik had been unmasked as a fake.
However, Yunis described the decision of the senate as "startling and the
process that produced it, a gross violation of the rules of fair play and
natural justice".
He said his brother intended to challenge the university's decision in the High
Court.
In a television interview, UKZN Vice-Chancellor Prof Malegapuru Makgoba said
that as far as he could remember, Shaik's thesis consisted of five chapters,
including an introduction and a conclusion. This left three chapters as the main
body of work.
Makgoba said an investigation had found that chapters two and four were heavily
plagiarised and it was concluded that chapter four (sic)
was unlikely to have been the work of Shaik.
Shaik's statement said: "He was not afforded a proper opportunity to defend the
thesis; instead, all he was provided with was a list of questions to respond to.
His written reply was comprehensive and proved conclusively that he did not
plagiarise the work of any other.
"The university provided no text to support the allegation of plagiarism. There
is only the bold claim that a text written by Prof Pishkunov and others was
copied." With acknowledgements to Sapa and Daily News.