20°C / 22°C
  • Mon
  • 21°C
  • 9°C
  • Tue
  • 21°C
  • 10°C
  • Wed
  • 20°C
  • 10°C
  • Thu
  • 19°C
  • 8°C
  • Fri
  • 18°C
  • 6°C
  • Mon
  • 19°C
  • 14°C
  • Tue
  • 15°C
  • 10°C
  • Wed
  • 14°C
  • 9°C
  • Thu
  • 15°C
  • 11°C
  • Fri
  • 18°C
  • 9°C
  • Mon
  • 23°C
  • 10°C
  • Tue
  • 24°C
  • 11°C
  • Wed
  • 23°C
  • 10°C
  • Thu
  • 22°C
  • 8°C
  • Fri
  • 20°C
  • 8°C
  • Mon
  • 22°C
  • 7°C
  • Tue
  • 22°C
  • 6°C
  • Wed
  • 23°C
  • 7°C
  • Thu
  • 22°C
  • 5°C
  • Fri
  • 20°C
  • 3°C
  • Mon
  • 25°C
  • 16°C
  • Tue
  • 23°C
  • 16°C
  • Wed
  • 19°C
  • 15°C
  • Thu
  • 21°C
  • 13°C
  • Fri
  • 20°C
  • 12°C
  • Mon
  • 21°C
  • 14°C
  • Tue
  • 16°C
  • 9°C
  • Wed
  • 14°C
  • 8°C
  • Thu
  • 15°C
  • 10°C
  • Fri
  • 18°C
  • 10°C
  • Mon
  • 17°C
  • 10°C
  • Tue
  • 13°C
  • 5°C
  • Wed
  • 15°C
  • 4°C
  • Thu
  • 15°C
  • 5°C
  • Fri
  • 19°C
  • 6°C
  • Mon
  • 18°C
  • 12°C
  • Tue
  • 14°C
  • 8°C
  • Wed
  • 14°C
  • 6°C
  • Thu
  • 14°C
  • 8°C
  • Fri
  • 18°C
  • 7°C
  • Mon
  • 24°C
  • 9°C
  • Tue
  • 25°C
  • 9°C
  • Wed
  • 25°C
  • 9°C
  • Thu
  • 24°C
  • 7°C
  • Fri
  • 22°C
  • 6°C
  • Mon
  • 23°C
  • 3°C
  • Tue
  • 22°C
  • 5°C
  • Wed
  • 23°C
  • 4°C
  • Thu
  • 15°C
  • 1°C
  • Fri
  • 18°C
  • 0°C
  • Mon
  • 27°C
  • 8°C
  • Tue
  • 32°C
  • 8°C
  • Wed
  • 19°C
  • 9°C
  • Thu
  • 29°C
  • 8°C
  • Fri
  • 20°C
  • 7°C
  • Mon
  • 19°C
  • 13°C
  • Tue
  • 15°C
  • 7°C
  • Wed
  • 12°C
  • 6°C
  • Thu
  • 14°C
  • 9°C
  • Fri
  • 17°C
  • 8°C
Go

UKZN confirms Gordhan did complete pharmacy degree in 1973

A tweet by Africa Check dating back to 2016 began making the rounds again on Monday. The tweet had requested a response to a query regarding Pravin Gordhan's qualifications.

FILE: Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Picture: Abigail Javier/EWN.
FILE: Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Picture: Abigail Javier/EWN.
| 605 days ago

JOHANNESBURG - Speculation over an old tweet that has resurfaced questioning the tertiary qualifications of Public Minister Pravin Gordhan has been put to bed.

A tweet by fact-checkers Africa Check dating back to 2016 began making the rounds again on Monday. The tweet had requested a response to a query regarding Gordhan's qualifications.

Gordhan's qualifications came into question at the time after a claim was made that then-finance minister Des van Rooyen, who only lasted a few days on the job, was the most qualified of the finance ministers former president Jacob Zuma had appointed during his term.

According to available information, Gordhan graduated in 1973 from the then-University of Durban-Westville (UDW) with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.

The institution was only established as UDW in 1972. Prior to this, Indian students, including Gordhan, studied at the University College for Indians, established in 1961.

Upon the establishment of UDW, students from the University College for Indians continued their studies at the newly formed university, which at the time only admitted Indian students.

UDW merged with the University of Natal in 2004 to create the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). All records of previous students from UDW and the University College for Indians are now with UKZN.

The old tweet began gaining traction on Monday, with some accusing Gordhan of not possessing a post-matric qualification.

On Monday afternoon, Africa Check tweeted that UKZN had responded to the original query, confirming Gordhan's qualifications are legit. They have now updated the article to reflect this.

"UPDATE: In July 2019 the University of KwaZulu-Natal confirmed that Gordhan “studied and successfully completed the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1973," the confirmation read.

UKZN also released a statement to this effect.

More in Local

COPYRIGHT 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | PAIA