By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Image Supplied.
Businesswoman and Economist Thabi Leoka has denied she falsified her qualifications after an expose that it was one of the reasons she had been axed from the Remgro board, a company owned by Johann Rupert.
A Business Day report on Tuesday said Leoka had falsified her Economics PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE).
According to the publication, the London School of Economics had no record of Leoka’s PhD in economics qualification.
Speaking to Talk Radio 702 on Tuesday, Leoka denied she had falsified her qualifications and said she had changed her names.
She said she was currently in the US to seek medical intervention for a medical condition and denied she had been fired by Remgro.
“The reason I left Remgro, I opted not to be renominated was for health issues, that’s why the report says ‘for personal reasons’. There was no firing. Most people would not like to discuss the ailment publicly. I have glaucoma and degenerative glaucoma. That’s why I’m in the US, to seek medical intervention here. This is why I opted not to be renominated. Remgro did ask me to stay on,” she said.
Leoka told 702 that she had changed her names with the Department of Home Affairs, saying her qualifications were in a different name.
She would not share the names publicly, but insisted she did economics and history at the London School of Economics. A 2018 Government Gazette confirmed she changed her name from Bathabile to Thabi.
“They did not use my full names. The school wouldn’t confirm an incomplete name or a name not in their system. It would have been helpful if they contacted me so that I can also assist,” she said.
She said she will “definitely” respond legally to the Business Day as it had “tarnished” her name.
Leoka is one of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special economic envoys who sits on the 19-member presidential economic advisory panel. Presidency has since asked Leoka to “expeditiously address the matter of her qualifications” in the interests of transparency.
She also runs her own economic consultancy firm, Naha Advisory.
An Masters of Science in Economics obtained in 2004 from LSE was found in her name. She passed with merit, a document from the LSE showed.
Leoka has held top positions in companies and boards, including MTN, Anglo American, Renaissance Capital, Standard Bank, Barclays Wealth, and Investec Asset Management.