A Facebook post in April 2026 by a Limpopo singing star to celebrate a professorship conferred by a church body reportedly without legal authority to do so has been met with uncomplimentary responses, with an author and academic decrying the incident as an ‘easy way to glory’.

Caught in the centre of the doctorate conferment storm is Bennet Skheto Baloyi, also known as Benny Mayengani. Mayengani stirred a storm on Facebook on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

The post uploaded photos of himself donning a maroon graduation gown with the remark “Swihetisekile,” invoking a biblical connotation equivalent to “it’s finished” or “it’s done.” The postings were labelled “Professor.”

According to the African Union Churches Parliament (AUCP)’s Facebook account, Mayengani may be the first recipient in the AUCP’s professorial ditching spree.

Notably, the AUCP has neither affiliation with the African Union (AU) nor the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The internet search on AUCP points to its official offices as based in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa.

Because of the similarity in names, it is not unusual to confuse the AUCP office with two major intergovernmental headquarters located elsewhere in South Africa and the African continent.

There has been growing disquiet linked to the AUCP involving deep-seated concerns regarding church regulations, national sovereignty, and the exploitation of vulnerable congregants and conferment of degrees to unsuspecting people of note from various spheres of occupation.

In July 2023, the Council for Higher Education (CHE) issued a signed statement by CEO Dr Whitfield Green warning the public about the alleged dishonesty of SADC University of African Medicine’s founder, late Sylvester Hlathi, who illegally bestowed honorary doctoral degrees on legendary Xitsonga musicians Dr Joe Shirimane, Dr Chris Mkhonto, also known as General Muzka, Dr Sunglen Chabalala and Dr George Maluleke.

CHE said in its statement: “The SADC University of African Medicine is not accredited by the CHE to offer any higher education qualifications in South Africa. If any higher education qualifications have been awarded, these have been awarded illegally and have no standing. They are fraudulent qualifications that are not recognized.”

The CHE statement continued: “Furthermore, this organization, or any other organization, cannot accredit or “franchise’’ any other institution and so enable that institution to offer higher education qualifications in South Africa. The so-called accredited institution would also be operating illegally and offering fraudulent qualifications.”

Dr Sydney Fetsie Maluleke, an author and lecturer at the University of South Africa (UNISA), did not hold his reservations about the subject, noting that the AUCP does not have the right to confer such titles to anyone.

He urged that the church encourage Baloyi to enrol in theology and continue his studies until he becomes a professor.

Dr Maluleke is the author of two biographies—Soul Brothers: The Life and Times, and Everything is Ximatsatsa—that provide an insider’s perspective on Dr Thomas Chauke’s life, career, and role in revolutionising Xitsonga music. He has criticised the AUCP’s recent decision as nothing short of a mockery of the South African education system.

“These guys are rendering academic qualifications useless. They are devaluing academic qualifications, particularly doctoral qualifications because, to them, it’s like you don’t need to go to school to be called a doctor,” Maluleke said.

He said, “One can just go anywhere to find anyone that can just confer them with that particular degree, ‘ which is wrong, you know what I’m saying?”

Maluleke said they have turned academia into a mockery. “It is just a mockery to academia because, I guess, due the length of the process followed when one needs to be honored for that matter. So they want to have easy glory,” he pointed out.

Maluleke did not leave the matter there. He also had a word for tertiary institutions: “Universities must educate their honorees about how and when those tactics work. When are they applicable? They must have some kind of a workshop where they need to honour someone. They must tell them because even the honorees are culprits in this thing because they use honorary degrees as PR exercise.

“Honorees also cannot credibly operate here because once they called the doctors, they are obligated to make everybody feel that this is the greatest thing ever to happen and that those who are the same age as them who have not received these honours are nothing.

“Secondly,” Maluleke said, “the government must also take a step and make sure that should it be found that someone has bestowed the person with an honorary degree irregularly, such a person or institution must be held accountable without exemption including the recipients of those bogus institutions.”

Maluleke said accountability must apply, especially to those bogus institutions like the churches and the universities giving out such degrees.

“A church only ordains someone as a pastor or a reverend or bishop or archbishop. Not as a professor as instanced in the Mayengani case. So in that case, that church must be taken to task. Why are you doing that? Because you do not have the authority to do so. It’s a church,” Dr Maluleke was adamant.

In an interview on Shangangang Podcast Network Episode 94, Thembani Maswanganyi, Khindlimuka Heritage Foundation president, also addressed the topic, condemning Baloyi for undercutting his “real” qualification.

Maswanganyi said, “I must say our Xigaza artists have the greatest voices. They sing very well. When Mayengani released his first hit song Tiba Ben we were happy for him.”

Maswanganyi was initially all praises for Mayengani: “We know him for that. And then he enrolled at University of Johannesburg for honours degree in public management in governance course when he was still an EFF councillor. It was NQF level six. It was not a difficult course. That was the elementary stage. I’m proud of him for his resilience that he managed to complete.

Maswanganyi said he was proud of Mayengani for graduating with his honours degree, but parted company with him on seeing him undeservedly “wearing the red gown, becoming a professor, and that was very wrong.”

Maswanganyi directed his counsel to Mayengani thus: “He should have rejected that thing because it clouds his great achievement given the University of Johannesburg degree because one cannot go to a church that does not have accreditation from South African Higher Education or SAQA and accept it”

Maswangwayi said Baloyi had “embarrassed himself” and did not leave the matter without a word of advice to concerned parties: “Please stop accepting directionless doctoral and professorship titles. It devalues your degree. I’m asking churches and college owners to stop bestowing doctoral honoraria to people when they know they are not accredited.”

When approached for comment following a Facebook post and social media reaction to his title, Baloyi dismissed Manyanganyi’s advice: “My brother, have you taken your medication today? I mean, have you taken your pills today? Because you are mad like Maswanganyi,” Baloyi ended the call.

African Times attempted to call AUCP several times but was unable to reach the church, which appeared to have merely a Facebook page and no website.

In April 2024, it was reported that Trinity International Bible University awarded an honorary doctorate to veteran South African actor Sello Maake kaNcube, which the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) later confirmed as bogus.

The DHET, led by then-Minister Blade Nzimande, stated that the university is not registered or authorised to grant any qualifications in South Africa.

The department also encouraged celebrities to verify the accreditation of institutions before accepting such honours to avoid devaluing the South African education system.

Several other South African personalities were awarded similar honorary degrees from Trinity International Bible University around the same period. They include:

• Shauwn Mkhize: Businesswoman and reality star. (received 2021)
• Winnie Mashaba: Gospel musician. (received 2019)
• Zwelinzima Vavi: Unionist and Secretary General of SAFTU (received 2018)
• Lucas Kgaphola: Former SABC Sepedi news anchor. (received 2022)
• Peter Mabula: Gospel singer. (received 2022)
• Ngwana Ledwaba: Gospel singer. (received 2022)
• Kenny Makweng: The late gospel singer (received 2022).
• Deborah Fraser: The late gospel singer (received 2021).
• Elizabeth Serunye: Skeem Saam actress (received 2022)