Thousands of people at Dzingingidzingi outside Giyani yesterday sang freedom songs and danced to welcome well-known poet, educator and community builder Nzama Jackson Chabalala, known as Comrade Xigevenga, who had been awarded an honourary Doctor of Philosophy in Political Leadership from Omega Global University in Nelspruit.

As was the case with the "honorary doctorate" the executive mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality, Cllr Falaza Mdaka, received from the Witbank branch of the Omega Global University, questions are being asked about the validity of the award. As far Mirror could establish, The Omega Global University is not listed as a registered South African University.

The Omega Global University invites people to apply for an honorary doctor’s degrees on its website. “Omega Global University offers honorary doctorate degrees to deserving candidates, based on their life experience,” the website states. To qualify for such a degree, a candidate only needs “at least five years of work or life experience relevant to (the) desired major.” Interested parties can also apply online for such a degree.

When Chabalala arrived at the tent, the crowd sang his favourite freedom song, Solomon, dedicated to executed Solomon Mahlangu.

Pastor Reckson Nkanyani, who was impressed with the crowd that had gathered to welcome back their leader, quoted from the Bible and said to have a good name was better than wealth. "To have a good name one needs to work with the masses, including poor people, and that is what Chabalala has done," he said.

Chabalala stated that he had been honoured, "because when the university asked me what I had done for the community, during their assessment, I said when all the villages in almost all of Giyani burnt old people to death, accusing them of witchcraft in 1990, it never happened at Dzingidzingi. I also told them I had buried 28 people out of my own pocket.”

The poet, who is the chairman of the local John Mathonsi ANC branch, took his time to lash out at ANC members who are contesting the local government elections as independants.

As a poet, Comrade Xigevenga has published on anthology and has also one novel and three short story books published. His popular political titles include Chris Hani and Jacob Zuma, the one he wrote while Zuma was facing his trials and tribulations before becoming president.