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Nearly three years after receiving a “fake” honorary doctorate degree from Trinity International University, Sello Maake KaNcube is exploring legal options over the damage it has done to his career and reputation.
This week the Sello Maake KaNcube Foundation issued a statement formally rejecting the award and disassociating the actor from the unregistered institution.
The foundation said Maake KaNcube endured public controversy, reputational harm, ridicule and emotional distress from the manner in which the matter was managed.
“The foundation believes that Mr Maake kaNcube’s public profile and stature made him an easy target for political and media attention, unfairly exposing him to humiliation and reputational damage for matters entirely beyond his control,” said the foundation.
“Mr Maake kaNcube has spent more than six decades building a respected legacy in South African arts, theatre, television and nation-building. It is deeply unfortunate that a recognition intended to honour his contribution ultimately became a source of public ridicule and personal pain.”
Formal correspondence from the foundation has been sent both to Trinity International University of Ambassadors and to the SA department of higher education and training to publicly clarify that he was never implicated in wrongdoing; demands a formal apology for the reputational harm he suffered; and wants to see “greater responsibility in the handling of innocent public figures during matters of institutional investigation and public communication”.
“This matter goes beyond a title or qualification. It concerns dignity, fairness and the human cost of public humiliation.”
In 2024, Maake kaNcube, as well as Skeem Saam actress Elizabeth Serunye, late gospel star Deborah Fraser and gospel singer Winnie Mashaba beamed with pride when accepting the honorary doctorates.
The then-minister of higher education, Blade Nzimande, said in 2024 that, according to their records, the institution was not registered and therefore was not authorised to offer any qualifications, including honorary degrees.
“We have written to Trinity International University before and warned them about continuing to operate illegally and for them to regularise their operations,” Nzimande said at the time.
TimesLIVE
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