In 1979 he was named the first black Nuffield Dominion Fellow to the University of Oxford,[2] where he completed his DPhil degree in human immunogenetics in 1983 under Professor Sir Andrew McMichael.

He was Reader in Molecular Endocrinology at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School London (1990–94) He was the first black South African to be selected to the prestigious National Institute of Health's Fogarty Visiting Programme in the late 1980s.

[4] Makgoba responded with his own accusations, based on the personal files of the 13, of tax evasion, inconsistent salary scales, nepotism, lack of qualifications and misrepresentation of credentials.

[4] Journalist and biographer Mark Gevisser commented that "No intellectual debate defines our times more than that which racked the University of Witwatersrand in 1995"[29] Mahmood Mamdani stated that "Makogba was a victim of the 'racialised power' entrenched at Wits".

Guy Martin, professor at the School of Government of the University of the Western Cape, referred to the book as "a personal account of the recent process of transformation occurring at Wits.

"[32] Martin noted that, while Makgoba was "justifiably proud of his considerable achievements as an African scientist", the force with which he defends his credentials in the book "leads him to sound intellectually pompous and arrogant and utterly self-centered, if not downright egocentric".

[32] Martin also questioned Makgoba's "resort to some unorthodox--and, possibly, unethical--methods of struggle", and noted his own "uneasiness in attempting to disentangle objective reality from opinion, and fact from fiction" while reading the book.

[39] Later that year The Mercury newspaper reported that Makgoba had threatened to, at the request of the mayor of Durban, bring evidence from the National Intelligence Agency to the council and to charge academics who had been working with the shack dweller's movement Abahlali baseMjondolo with "incitement".

[44] Although the matter had initially been resolved by mediation, this was rejected by university lawyers, who instead required that Chetty and Van den Berg sign admission of guilt forms, which they refused to do.

[45] Prof Alan Rycroft, representing the two professors, said of the matter, "As a labour lawyer, I have to question what kind of advice the legal team is giving to the vice-chancellor.

[45] South African Education minister at the time, Naledi Pandor raised concern over the "persistent negative publicity" the situation had generated.

[49] A Council Committee on Governance and Academic Freedom (GAFC) including former Public Protector Advocate Selby Baqwa was set up internally by the University.

[55][56][57][58] Makgoba, along with the council chairman, stepped aside from their positions on 28 November 2006, after a scandal emerged involving claims of sexual harassment and victimisation levelled by the dean of the Faculty of Management Studies, Pumela Msweli-Mbanga.