Paula Luckhoff16 January 2024 | 19:42

Thabi Leoka hits back after report she lied about PhD

The economist has reportedly threatened legal action after Business Day reported that she lied about holding a PhD from the London School of Economics.

Thabi Leoka hits back after report she lied about PhD

FILE: Leoka denied any wrongdoing, saying that she would be considering taking legal action against Business Day. Picture: Supplied

Bruce Whitfield interviews Business Day's Kabelo Khumalo (Companies and Markets editor) and Andrew Woodburn, MD of Amrop WoodburnMann.

Economist Thabi Leoka is embroiled in a qualifications scandal after Business Day reported that she lied about holding a PhD from the London School of Economics.
The businesswoman sits on several boards and serves on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
According to Business Day, the misrepresentation of her qualifications is allegedly one of the reasons Leoka left the board of Johann Rupert’s Remgro in December.
"Business Day has it on good authority that Leoka, who serves on the boards of several companies, including Anglo American Platinum and MTN SA, does not hold a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) as she claims."
Business Day

Asked on the Clement Manyathela Show whether she misrepresented her qualifications, Leoka said the answer is "a straight no".

Bruce Whitfield asks Business Day's Kabelo Khumalo whether he's uncovered anything since his article was published, to change his views around the allegations it contains.

Khumalo says he is still waiting for the evidence of this particular qualification that Leoka promised him during their conversation on Monday.

"Listening to the Clement interview, she came across as projecting me as somebody who did not give her sufficient time to respond to the allegations, yet we were on the phone for 27 minutes with her yesterday."
Kabelo Khumalo, Companies and Markets Editor - Business Day
"She offered the information, to say she'll send me all documentation that relates to her PhD... The issue of her having changed names, for example, did not come up in our conversation. At no stage did she say 'hold on, maybe you are checking for a wrong name, I would have changed my name during the course of my career', so I was entirely surprised when i heard those assertions being made earlier on 702."
Kabelo Khumalo, Companies and Markets Editor - Business Day

 

 

Khumalo emphasizes that there is no compelling evidence before them to suggest that the Business Day story is incorrect.

"We confirmed with other sources before we even approached her, so it was well-sourced and backed up by people who are in the know." 

Looking at the at responses from companies so far, nobody is leaping to Leoka's defence, comments Bruce Whitfield.

Should this ring any alarm bells? he asks Andrew Woodburn, MD of Amrop WoodburnMann.

Woodburn also questions the 'deafening silence' from multiple institutions at this point, who he says SHOULD have done their due diligence.

This would then be able to support the claim of the PhD, and could have easily have solved the problem he remarks.

In addition, Woodburn notes, Leoka could simply have furnished for instance her student number or a copy of her certificate.

 

"...without making any assertions about an individual's integrity - but you and I have seen these cases before from CEOs, board directors and so on... and now we have a number of, let's say, responses around name changes, medical reasons, time zones, documents yet to surface, personal vendettas..." 
Andrew Woodburn, MD - Amrop WoodburnMann
"It is beginning to look a little bit like smoke, just as a judgment in terms of HOW the response's been delivered... and I think the response from the Business Day journalist and others has been REASONABLE in its request."
Andrew Woodburn, MD - Amrop WoodburnMann

Woodburn also discusses how, in a tough economic environment, listed companies and boards themselves are becoming much more risk-averse when it comes to their appointments.

"You are looking to your key non-execs and executives to be absolutely transparent, accountable, authentic in who they are or what they say... because that is what the employees and the investors and the markets are going to believe."

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