SA Association of PhDs calls for criminal charges against people who misrepresent their qualifications

JOHANNESBURG -The South African Association of PhDs is calling on law enforcement officials to criminally charge people who misrepresent their qualifications.

The call comes amid allegations that well-known economist Thabi Leoka lied about obtaining a PhD from the London School of Economics.

Leoka has been a board member for some big corporations in the country including Anglo American and MTN.

The South African Association of PhDs said it has a strict vetting process that ensures that all its members indeed hold a PhD.

It said the allegations made against Leoka are concerning as this is in contravention of the National Qualification Framework Amendment Act of 2019.

The act has made lying about a qualification a criminal offence in the country since 2019.

Since these allegations surfaced Leoka has been removed from President Cyril Ramaphosa's economic advisory council and later resigned as a board member from both Anglo American and MTN.