Leoka was accused of faking her PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE). Leoka, who served as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic advisor, is said to hold only a Master’s degree. MTN announced on Monday that it had accepted the resignation of independent non-executive director Leoka, effective immediately.
“Leoka joined the board of an MTN Group subsidiary in 2019. She resigned to focus on her health and the questions she has been having about her academic qualifications,” the company added.
It has also been reported that Leoka has left the board of mining conglomerate Amplats.
According to Independent Media, the economist has denied falsifying her doctoral qualifications following an exposé by a business publication that claimed it was one of the reasons she was removed from the board of Remgro, a company owned by billionaire Johann Rupert.
Leoka has stated that she will pursue legal action against “Business Day” for publishing the claims on Tuesday. She claimed she left Remgro for health reasons.
Msibi defended Leoka, pointing out that Johann Rupert, the founder of Remgro, was also a university dropout. A qualification beyond the first two degrees added little to one’s abilities, he added.
