Congratulations to "Dr" Shauwn Mkhize for her honorary doctorate in philosophy from Good Shepherd College of Religion. There was a time when you wanted to be called a "Dr", you either become a medical doctor or did a real thesis-driven PhD.

PhD is hard work and frustrating at times. An honorary doctorate does not count. It is not even real. It is abused by the connected and has lost its intended meaning. A pity some journalists don't even know the real difference between an honorary doctorate and PhD.

We need to instil a love of knowledge among black kids. It is an honour when your work/research is published as a sign of respect from your peers. PhD is about adding value to the scholarly body of work. You bring novel ideas to the world. Your work can change lives.

Unfortunately, that love of knowledge and perseverance have been replaced by instant gratification and the Kardashian mentality. Today you can open an obscure church and start dishing out honorary "doctorates" to anyone.

If you have the money and connections, you too can be a doctor. Mike Tyson was given one. Patrice Motsepe has one. Idi Amin had plenty. Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza have theirs. Now it is Shauwn Mkhize.

Why is it that unknown and unconnected heroes in our townships are never given these honorary doctorates? The great Nelson Mandela hated these honorary doctorates and titles. He was simply Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

I wish one day universities will ban this culture of honorary doctorates. It devalues the work of those PhD candidates who toil day and night without funding for the love of knowledge and not titles.

We must encourage young black kids to do PhDs and help find solutions to Africa's problems of poverty, drought, wars, migration, unemployment, transportation, urbanisation etc. PhD is about solving problems and not titles.

Lucas Ntyintyane, email