Culture

South African university denies conferring PhD on Malawian musician, Patience Namadingo, two others

Published

6 months ago

November 8, 2023

The University of South Africa (Unisa) has denied conferring honorary doctorate degrees Malawian musician, Patience Namadingo, a socialite and community activist, Phemphero Mphande and one other person identified as Mansoor Sharif Karim.

The denial by the country’s biggest university came after Mphande posted on his X account that he was conferred with a doctorate in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, which he claimed led to raising over 200 million for those in need, without specifying the particular currency of the funds raised.

“Today at UNISA in RSA, I was awarded honoris causa a Doctorate degree in community development in recognition of the Humanitarian work that have seen us raise over 200 million for the sick and others in need. This Honorary PhD belongs to all of us that do charity work together.

“This Honorary PhD belongs to all of us that do charity work together,” Mphande wrote and attached a picture of himself in red robes.

But in denying the award, Unisa, in a statement, said they had not conferred any degrees on the three.

“These three individuals are also not amongst the candidates considered and approved for the awarding of honorary doctorates in 2020, 2021, and 2023,” the institution said.

“Neither have they ever been nominated, considered, or approved for such honours at any period whatsoever. No honorary degrees were awarded in 2022.”

The university said those it conferred honorary doctorates upon went through a “strict and controlled process, which included nominations and approvals through various bodies in the university before it went to council for approval.”

“Once approved, the recipient would be conferred in full view of all attendees, and the vice-chancellor or chancellor would confer the honorarium,” the statement which was issued by the school’s acting Registrar, Professor Moloko Sepota, said.

It also condemned the three for misusing the university’s name in such “fraudulent conduct”.

“Relevant officials within the university have been directed to look into this matter and ensure that these individuals are held to account and also made to retract any false claims,” Sepota said.

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Culture

Burna Boy, Asake, Davido, Tems, other Nigerian stars bag BET nominations

Published

22 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Thursday was a good day for Nigerian music stars, and especially the entertainment industry, as singers Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Asake, Tems, Davido, Lojay, and Seyi Vibez, were all nominated for the 2024 BET Awards.

The BET Awards 2024 will air live on BET on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 8 p.m.

The announcement of the nominations by the organizers of the annual BET Awards also went a long way to show the significant impacts Nigerian singers have demonstrated on the global music landscape.

Burna Boy got his nomination from his album, “African Giant” which was nominated in the Best Male Hip Hop Artist and Best Male R&B/POP Artist categories.

He was joined by fellow Nigerian acts, Asake, Ayra Starr, and Seyi Vibez, in the category which has American star, Drake, leading the pack with seven nominations while Nicki Minaj has six.

Davido and Lojay both earned nominations for the Viewers Choice Award courtesy of their appearance on Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’, while Asake was also nominated for Best International Act, just Seyi Vibez earned the nod for Viewers Choice Best International New Act.

Other significant nominations for the BET AWARDS Nomination include:

Album of the year:

Chris Brown – ’11:11′

Gunna – ‘A Gift & A Curse’

21 Savage – ‘American Dream’

Usher – ‘Coming Home’

Drake – ‘For All the Dogs (Scary Hours Edition)’

Victoria Monét – ‘Jaguar II’

Killer Mike – ‘Michael’

Nicki Minaj – ‘Pink Friday 2’

Best female R&B/pop artist

Beyoncé

Coco Jones

Doja Cat

H.E.R.

Muni Long

SZA

Tyla

Victoria Monét

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Brent Faiyaz

Bryson Tiller

Burna Boy

Chris Brown

Drake

Fridayy

October London

Usher

Best Group

¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign

2 Chainz & Lil Wayne

Blxst & Bino Rideaux

City Girls

Flo

Maverick City Music

Wanmor

Best Collaboration

Lil Durk feat. J. Cole – ‘All My Life’

Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar, – ‘America Has a Problem (Remix)’

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (With Aqua) – ‘Barbie World’

Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Bongos’

¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign feat. Rich The Kid, Playboi Carti – ‘Carnival’

Lola Brooke feat. Latto & Yung Miami – ‘Don’t Play With It (Remix)’

Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Uzi Vert – ‘Everybody’

Usher, Summer Walker & 21 Savage – ‘Good Good’

Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – ‘Rich Baby Daddy’

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

Cardi B

Doja Cat

GloRilla

Ice Spice

Latto

Megan Thee Stallion

Nicki Minaj

Sexyy Red

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

21 Savage

Burna Boy

Drake

Future

Gunna

Cole
Kendrick Lamar

Lil Wayne

Best New Artist

4Batz

Ayra Starr

Bossman Dlow

Fridayy

October London

Sexyy Red

Tyla

Video Of The Year

Doja Cat – ‘Agora Hills’

Lil Durk feat J. Cole – ‘All My Life’

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (With Aqua) – ‘Barbie World’

Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Bongos’

Drake feat. J. Cole – ‘First Person Shooter’

Usher, Summer Walker & 21 Savage – ‘Good Good’

Victoria Monét – ‘On My Mama’

Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – ‘Rich Baby Daddy’

Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

Shirley Caesar – ‘Award All of the Glory’

Kirk Franklin – ‘All Things’

Halle Bailey – ‘Angel’

CeCe Winans – ‘Come Jesus Come’

Erica Campbell – ‘Do You Believe in Love?’

Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore – ‘God Problems’

Tems – ‘Me & U’

Kirk Franklin – ‘Try Love’

Viewer’s Choice Award

Doja Cat – ‘Agora Hills’

Lil Durk feat. J. Cole – ‘All My Life’

Gunna – ‘Fukumean’

Jack Harlow – ‘Lovin on Me’

Muni Long – ‘Made for Me’

Victoria Monét – ‘On My Mama’

Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – ‘Rich Baby Daddy’

Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay – ‘Sensational’

Beyoncé – ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’

Tyla – ‘Water’

Best International Act

Asake (Africa)

Aya Nakamura (France)

Ayra Starr (Africa)

Bk’ (Brazil)

Cleo Sol (UK)

Focalistic (Africa)

Karol Conká (Brazil)

Raye (UK)

Tiakola (France)

Tyla (Africa)

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

Bellah (UK)

Cristale (UK)

Duquesa (Brazil)

Holly G (France)

Jungeli (France)

Makhadzi (Africa)

Oruam (Brazil)

Seyi Vibez (Africa)

Tyler Icu (Africa)

Culture

Legendary American music icon Stevie Wonder becomes full Ghanaian citizen

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Legendary American singer and songwriter, Stevie Wonder, is now officially a Ghanaian citizen after he took an oath of allegiance administered by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Wonder who was granted citizenship of the West African country on Monday which marked his 74th birthday, is one among a number of American celebrities who have decided to trace their family roots back to Africa.

While granting the icon the country’s citizenship with a certificate at a ceremony in the presidential palace, Akufo-Addo said it was a big honour to the country and Africa that such greats were coming back to the black continent.

He was also presented with a birthday cake with a Ghanaian flag iced on top.

After the ceremony, Wonder told the BBC that gaining Ghanaian nationality on his birthday was an “amazing thing” moment for him and his family.

The superstar was born and bred in the US state of Michigan but has long had an affinity for Ghana.

As far back as 1975, Wonder had openly expressed a desire to quit music and move to Ghana, a country he believed his ancestral lineage could be traced there while in the 1990s, he made frequent trips to the country as well as headlining a Ghanaian music festival where he again expressed a desire to set up a home there.

Wonder had, in an interview, confessed that his love affair with Ghana was ignited by the people he met whilst there including the late Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings, who in the 1990s hosted him at the presidential residence.

“I remember the late President Rawlings, who allowed me to be a co-pilot on a flight,” Wonder had said.

“I was able to fly with him from one end of Ghana to the other end. The north to the south, and it was amazing.”

Aside Stevie Wonder, other American-African celebrities who took up Ghanaian citizenship included writer, W E B Du Bois, who moved to Ghana and was buried there in 1963, while Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali all paid high-profile visits to the country to reconnect with their African roots.g