South African Resigns From Parliament After Degree Is Questioned

Pallo Jordan, a veteran anti-apartheid politician and a leading intellectual in South Africa, resigned from Parliament on Monday night, a week after a newspaper reported that he had lied about his academic credentials.

In resigning, Mr. Jordan — a 72-year-old historian who used the title “Dr.” but lacked the Ph.D. from the London School of Economics that he had claimed on his résumé — issued an apology to the governing African National Congress and to the country, according to the party. The A.N.C. said it was considering Mr. Jordan’s offer to resign from the party and its national executive committee.

The revelation by The Sunday Times concerning Mr. Jordan, an A.N.C. stalwart who had served as a minister in three successive governments, was an embarrassment to the party, which has been plagued by corruption in recent years.

The Sunday Times reported that Mr. Jordan, despite his repeated promises over two weeks, had not replied to questions about his academic qualifications. In text messages with the newspaper, Mr. Jordan appeared to acknowledge the academic deceit, referring to “the Faustian bargain I made 30 years ago.” ...