12 Reasons Why I didn’t Collect my PhD Certificate for some Years: Many African Job Seekers are abusing Doctorate & Professorship Titles for Ignorance or Primitive Arrogance
…..Overall, university or college certificates, Diplomas, Bachelors or Masters are meant for employers in helping them to grade the skills, salary scales and promotion levels of their employees. We see people studying with a job in mind. But most wealthy people on Earth who are all employers such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bernard Arnault, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg do not need university academic papers or college certificates just like Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote…..
By Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba
1. Yesterday, l passed through the University of Lusaka around 15:00 to meet a friend. He is a PhD scholar and wanted me to provide some guidance on one or two technical aspects for his thesis. After our academic meeting, l remembered something before I left my friend.
2. “I have not collected my PhD certificate for a long time now. They are still keeping it for me here and I don’t have any problem with that”, I told him. ”Do you still owe the university? Why have you not collected your most important paper and highest academic certificate in your education achievement?”, he asked.
3. “Well, l don’t owe the university anything, I cleared everything. In 2022, I was given the clearance form signed by all departments to show that l don’t owe the university anything. The truth is that l have not seen any need for me to collect this PhD certificate so far because I already collected what l wanted”, I responded.
4. Following this discussion, l walked to the post graduate office to follow up on the matter. After inquiring, they asked me to fill in a new clearance form and have it verified by the library and accounts department. I did that in less than 10 minutes and came back to collect it.
5. After checking in the system, they discovered that l graduated some time back. One of the ladies wondered why I didn’t collect it earlier. My answer was the same: “I didn’t have any need for this certificate because l collected what I wanted. But l have come to collect it because it is mine anyway”, I responded.
6. “Well, it is a strange answer but I understand. It’s good that you now have the need to use it, it’s your PhD certificate”, she responded and encouraged me. I happily collect it! On my way home, l was thinking about why it was so strange to everyone that l delayed to collect my PhD certificate. Is my approach wrong?
7. One fact is universally true, people who go to school for job opportunities later are more interested in titles and certificates. That’s why I have no respect for some doctors and Professors who celebrate their titles and certificates for their jobs but have no societal impact or defined legacy in their field. The idea of kissing education titles and certificates is for job seekers.
8. Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Socrates, Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, etc left mountains of information and knowledge we all cherish today on earth but did not have any academic title or certificate because it was not necessary for them. They were not job seekers but community change agents! This my approach to education too. Germany’s Karl Marx, England’s Isaac Newton or Italy’s Niccolo Machiavelli all did have doctorate or professorship title but are more respected in their respective fields today because they left a legacy behind.
9. l am a strong believer of those who pursue education mainly for knowledge acquisition and intellectual growth than those who boost their education with titles and certificates. Today, there are many Zambians who are in a hurry to acquire academic titles and certificates without clearly defining and understanding the “why questions”. This is a national crisis we face today as a country!
10. Many people do not know that a PhD degree is not for job seekers or mere employees but rather for senior academicians and researchers. It is for people who want to discover something unique and contribute peculiar knowledge in their field of study. Today, we have many civil servants, factory employees, politicians and businessmen doing PhD programs even outside their day to day work. Dr Myles Munroe once said “ when purpose is not defined and understood, abuse is inevitable”. Across Africa, PhD and Professorship titles are being defiled and abused every day!
11. During my PhD program, l researched on “The challenges and opportunities of promoting democracy in African traditional institutions: The case of Nzamane, Kapatamoyo and Madzibawe Chiefdoms in Ngoni Land”By the end of this study, l acquired a lot of knowledge on this topic because l was compelled to study different African chiefdoms and kingdoms in relation to the challenges and opportunities for democracy promotion. The study helped me to revisit different theories of democracy.
12. When l finally graduated in 2022 after delaying to graduate by four years, l was so happy and satisfied with the quality and quantity of knowledge I acquired on this side of political comparative. Soon, l hope to publish my thesis in form of a book so that future generations can learn something new on the challenges and opportunities of democracy at kingdom level in Africa. To me, this was the most important objective behind my PhD project than anything! That’s why I never bothered to collect the certificate of this long.
Dr Chris ZUMANI Zimba is a Political Scientist, Researcher, Author & Consultant specialized in Comparative Global Governance and Democratic Theories. He holds a PhD, MA, BA and Cert in Political Science. Zimba was President Lungu’s Political Advisor from December 2019 to August 2021. By philosophical approach, Dr. Zimba is a Pan Africanist as well as Afro-Christian by religion.
Email:chriszumaniZimba.cz@gmail.com
Imagine Hakainde now has 2 fake Doctorate degrees given to him for championing LGBT and load shedding. I am sure he will get another one for kwacha depreciation.
Vote wisely in 2026.
You seem to be obsessed with LGBT, are you one of them but you want to deflect it on innocent people?
Indigo Tryol fuseki always too much PF M*tuvi your postings. HH is not accountable to you PF criminals. Yes we shall vote for HH again. Yours kulusa ba PF crimnals. HH is not your level iwe p*nyo patambala malume.
All the articles this doc has written has ended with the use of title ‘dr. Zumani Zimba’. If he wasn’t interested in the title why does he introduce himself as a doc? Be truthful in ur articulation, u earned the PhD degree, it’s your absolute choice to use it or drop it otherwise no one really cares. It’s not an obsession if u earned it. So if u work for UNZA how would u prefer to be addressed by students Mr Zimba?
Ati, Imagine Hakainde now has 2 fake Doctorate degrees given to him for championing LGBT and load shedding. Indigo Tyrol, you are not only disrespecting and insulting HH but also some past presidents like KK, Chiluba and Mwanawasa. Kaunda had many honorary degrees from these universities; Fordham, Dublin, Wales, Windsor (Canada), Sussex, York and Chile. In addition he received honorary degrees from Humboldt State University, California and University of Zambia. Chiluba had one from the university of Malawi and Mwanawasa from Harding University. So HH is not the first and last to receive an honorary degree, there are many other past African Presidents who had received. Why are some of us Africans so jealous of each other? Please let’s put jealous aside and honor and support our own team. Droughts, floods, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, tornados, disease pandemics are all natural calamities and only God can control them and not a human being, how do you blame HH for a drought? Are you being fair and objective? I am proud of HH and all the past presidents who had been honored.
Irony is bragging about not collecting your certificate but using the acronym Dr in everything you address yourself. So now Unilus is from Matero? Just like the other one who claimed his phd was from overseas in uk when we know it was from Matero! Foolish pfidiots…..
“Many African job seekers are abusing doctorate and professorship titles out of ignorance and primitive arrogance”.
Dr. Zumani should have included the title of “Ambassador” which some individuals are still “wearing” like a medal of honour long after they ceased to represent our country. Have you ever heard of Mr. Vernon Mwanga referring to himself as “Ambassador Vernon Mwanga” and yet he had arguably the most successful diplomatic career?
There are two characters who seem to be obsessed with this title thinking Zambians would be awed.
No single person or animal in this world, works hard for even his Degree, let alone, a PHD, and then he does not collect it? Ahahahahahha, there is no such my guy”Zumani Zimba whatever” chances are, you bought it. Cos most of these University Chancellors are still PF , if not, then they are bribable but, don’t shit here iwe ka gheko.