The South African Association of PhDs says it has noted with concern private higher education institutions that are not officially registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) purporting to have the authority to confer honorary doctorates.The organisation says an honorary doctorate is one of Higher Education's most significant accolades and should not be trivialised.

Over the years we’ve seen a growing trend of high profile celebrities seen on TV and various social media platforms receiving honorary doctorates from institutions that are not registered or recognised by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

On Sunday, the country’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, said that Trinity International Bible University which honoured local veteran actor Sello Maake kaNcube with a doctorate, is not a registered private higher education institution. It later emerged that the same institution, conferred a number of known personalities with the same doctorates.

We speak to the Communications Director of the South African Association of PhDs, Dr. Esewu Mathebula.