Presidency removes Leoka from council
The Presidency was the first to act against economist Thabi Leoka after a scandal erupted last week following allegations that she lied about obtaining a doctorate from the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE).
In a statement on Monday, spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed the Presidency had moved to immediately to terminate Leoka’s membership from the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
“Ms Leoka was part of the 19-member panel of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, a nonstatutory body, whose participation does not require formal vetting,” the short statement read.
“The members volunteer their time and they are not employed by the Presidency, nor are they remunerated by the state.”
On that same day, major JSE-listed firms like mining giant Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) and telecoms giant MTN informed the market of Leoka’s decision to resign from her positions on their boards, with immediate effect.
Amplats notified investors via the JSE news service that Leoka had opted to resign from her position as a nonexecutive director, as well as from other board committees she was a part of.
MTN issued a short media statement regarding Leoka’s exit.
According to the brief Amplats Sens statement, Leoka – who has opted to step down with immediate effect – is leaving to attend to her health as well as “the questions she has been facing in relation to her academic qualifications.”
MTN’s statement highlighted similar sentiments.
News of Leoka’s alleged untruths about obtaining a PhD from the London School of Economics led the local financial news headlines last week and brought into question the effectiveness of screening and vetting processes board appointments in corporate SA.
Leoka, who has been confirmed to have obtained a master’s degree from the LSE, continues to maintain her innocence in the matter and claims to have been awarded a doctorate in economics by the school in 2008.