Leoka parts company with MTN and Amplats
Economist Thabi Leoka has resigned from the board of MTN SA amid questions over whether she has a PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE).
The mobile network operator made the announcement shortly after Anglo American Platinum announced that she had stepped down from its board.
Both companies said the 44-year-old had stepped down to ‘attend to her health and the questions she has been facing concerning her academic qualifications’.
The Daily Maverick reports that Leoka is at the centre of a qualifications row after she was exposed for allegedly lying about holding a PhD from the LSE.
While Leoka maintains she was awarded the degree, the university has said it can find no evidence of it.
In February 2017, she testified under oath before the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training that she had a PhD from the LSE.
If she fails to prove that she has a PhD from the institution, she could face perjury charges and a fine or imprisonment.
Fin24 reports that Leoka, who is currently in the US undergoing medical treatment for glaucoma, is also listed on the board of the Small Business Institute which did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday.
Last year, Leoka resigned from her directorships at Netcare and Remgro.
She continues to serve on the Statistics SA Council, where she chairs the Economic Statistics Committee, and is a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
Business Day reports that the scandal has damaged the reputation and trust of the companies involved, as well as the image of corporate SA, which is still reeling from the demise of Steinhoff and the collapse of Tongaat Hulett into the arms of business rescue practitioners.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
