Presidency requests ‘transparency’ from former Remgro director Thabi Leoka

The Presidency says it has requested former Remgro director Thabi Leoka to address the matter of her qualifications, “in the interest of transparency”.

The spotlight has been on Leoka following a Business Day report on Tuesday alleging that Leoka, who serves on several boards of companies including Anglo American Platinum, does not hold a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE).

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Leoka has dismissed the reports and said she would take legal action, insisting she does hold a PhD in Economics from the institution.

“I do hold a PHD in Economics from the university. I did economic history and economics,” she told 702 in an interview on Tuesday.

She said the reason people have not been able to find her PhD record is because they have been using the wrong names for the search, she said.

According to a government gazette published on 29 March 2018, Leoka did change her name from Bathabile Leoka to Thabi Leoka.

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“They didn’t use my full name, without using the right names, the school wouldn’t verify or confirm a name that is incomplete or not on their system. I changed my name with Home Affairs.”

Among other roles, Leoka was appointed as an independent non-executive director of Remgro, on 22 March 2023 and opted to not be renominated for the position in December last year, “for health reasons”.

She was also appointed to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019.

In response to questions regarding the government’s vetting processes for appointments, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the Presidential Advisory Council is a non-statutory body and formal vetting was not a requirement.

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“The members volunteer their time and they are not employed by the Presidency, nor are they remunerated by the state,” said Magwenya.

However, “in the interest of transparency”, the Presidency has requested Leoka to address the matter about her qualifications.