Plagiarism Scandal at University of Johannesburg Results in Three-Year Expulsion for PhD Student Norman Shoko After Extensive Investigation

Plagiarism Scandal at the University of Johannesburg

Norman Shoko, a PhD candidate at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), has been expelled for three years after being found guilty of plagiarism.

This decision came after a long and complicated disciplinary process that kept him in uncertainty for nearly four years.

The Plagiarism Discovery

The problem surfaced in September 2021 when Shoko’s thesis was submitted to Turnitin, a plagiarism detection tool commonly used by universities.

The software flagged a significant concern with a similarity index of 45%, suggesting that almost half of Shoko’s work mirrored other existing sources.

UJ’s investigation revealed that Shoko had copied large portions of his thesis, including extensive excerpts from academic works by Professor Craffert, without proper citation.

UJ’s Disciplinary Committee Ruling

MJ van As, the chairperson of the disciplinary committee, concluded that Shoko’s thesis was essentially a collection of “cut and paste” sections from other scholars’ work. Van As emphasized that Shoko’s failure to give appropriate credit for these excerpts amounted to academic fraud, clearly categorizing it as plagiarism.

Shoko’s Defense and Legal Challenge

Shoko, however, strongly denies the accusations and is challenging the ruling.

His lawyer, Advocate Ebenezer Iheanyi, has petitioned UJ’s manager for student ethics, questioning both the decision and the severity of the punishment.

Iheanyi argues that the expulsion is too harsh, especially since Shoko expressed a willingness to take part in programs to improve academic integrity.

Instead, Iheanyi believes a more rehabilitative approach would be better suited to the situation.

Alleged Procedural Issues in the Disciplinary Process

Shoko’s legal team has also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest during the investigation.

They claim that the chairperson, Van As, had a past professional connection with the external presenter involved in the case, which they argue was not fully disclosed.

Shoko’s Journey at UJ

Shoko, originally from Zimbabwe, has been a student at UJ for several years.

He completed his undergraduate degree in 2009, followed by an honours degree in 2010 and a master’s degree in 2019.

After starting his PhD, Shoko was keen on continuing his research and even reached out to the University of Pretoria in April 2021 for postdoctoral opportunities, submitting his thesis draft as part of his inquiry.

What’s Your Take on Plagiarism in Academia?

Do you think plagiarism should result in such a harsh penalty, or should universities focus more on rehabilitation?

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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