The University of Johannesburg PhD student found guilty and expelled for plagiarism has lost his petition against the guilty finding, with the Petition Committee pointing out that his grounds had no merit.

City Press reports that the committee ruled that Norman Shoko’s petition grounds had been largely arguments relating to surrounding issues and circumstances which ‘may have an influence of sorts, but do not decisively deal with the crux of the guilty finding of guilty of plagiarism of the content of the applicant’s thesis’.

It said some of these grounds appeared to be ‘red herrings’ thrown about randomly, many without providing any substance.

Shoko, a Theology student ‘chose not to place himself in the crossfire of presenting his testimony to be scrutinised by questioning and cannot at this point expect the Petition Committee to invent merits in his grounds of appeal where there are none’.

He was found guilty of academic dishonesty on 15 October last year by a Disciplinary Committee in that he committed plagiarism when he submitted his thesis that was intended to be his final version for assessment for his Christian Studies.

This paper contained plagiarised material obtained from other sources, in contravention of the University’s Student Regulations.

On 11 November 2024, he was expelled for three years and received a zero on his doctoral thesis, ultimately failing his doctoral degree. 

Shoko said the dismissal of his petition was not necessarily a blow, as his intention was to exhaust the internal channels so that he could take his fight to the courts.

Full City Press report