Ramaphosa fires Thabi Leoka from his economic council
President Cyril Ramaphosa has axed disgraced economist Thabi Leoka from his Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
"On Monday, 22 January 2024, the Presidency communicated to Ms Leoka the immediate termination of her membership in the Presidential Economic Advisory Council," said Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
Leoka has been under fire after the London School of Economics denied her claim that she has a doctorate from that institution.
Last week, Ramaphosa asked Leoka to "expeditiously address the matter of her qualifications".
Magwenya said that the council is a non-statutory body, therefore formal vetting wasn't a requirement.
"The members volunteer their time, and they are not employed by the presidency, nor are they remunerated by the state."
The 44-year-old is a well-known economist and commentator. In 2019, she was appointed by Ramaphosa to serve on the Public Investment Corporation Commission of Inquiry. She has also worked on a panel that reviewed SA's zero-rated VAT products.
On Monday, Leoka resigned from the boards of MTN SA and Anglo American Platinum in the wake of the controversy.
Both companies used the same language to announce her resignation, saying that the 44-year-old had stepped down to "attend to her health and the questions she has been facing concerning her academic qualifications".
Leoka, who is currently in the US undergoing medical treatment for glaucoma, is also listed on the board of the Small Business Institute. The institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Last year, Leoka resigned from her directorships at Netcare and Remgro.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Showroom
Our Easy Access Chute concept was developed to reduce the risks related to liner maintenance. Currently, replacing wear liners require that...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
