Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Popular TikTok persona and alleged fake South African doctor, Dr Matthew Lani, was arrested at Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday night. He was caught entering the hospital’s main entrance around 8 p.m. The hospital has confirmed that Lani has been handed over to the police, according to a statement seen by Pindula News. Read the statement:
HELEN JOSEPH HOSPITAL SECURITY APPREHENDS THE BOGUS DOCTOR (MATTHEW LANI)
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) welcomes the capturing of the bogus Dr Matthew Lani’ by security personnel at Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday night (29 October). He was apprehended while entering the main entrance of the facility.
Lani was caught just before 8pm disguised in a hoodie and wearing a surgical mask with a stethoscope around his neck. He had previously entered the same facility to curate misleading content under the pretense that he was a qualified doctor.
Immediately after being apprehended, Lani requested to go to the bathroom only to attempt to escape by jumping through the bathroom window. When the security realised that he was making a run for it, they called for reinforcement. and he was subsequently apprehended again.
The police were immediately called. Lani has since been handed over to the police for an official arrest.
Lani was in the news two weeks ago after Wits University disassociated itself from him. Lani, who has a significant following on TikTok, claims to be a doctor and has allegedly been seen in scrubs at a public hospital. Wits University called on Lani to retract any claims linking him to the university. Doctors who studied during the same time as Lani have stated that they do not know him. Despite his claims, the university says it cannot find any record of him graduating from their medical program.
The Stellenbosch Municipality and Gauteng Health Department have also denied his employment claims. Social media users have accused Lani of providing medical advice and selling medical products on his platform.
Lani then addressed the allegations on TikTok, stating that he has been repeatedly attacked and that his employer is aware of his social media name differences. Said the TikToker two weeks ago:
People will be negative for the sake of being negative. Despite there being videos where I am addressing this matter, people are ignoring it because right now they are having fun with the negativity.
My employer is aware that my name on social media is different to my legal name, and I am in compliance with the social media guidelines of the HPCSA.
I am not going to be compliant to black twitter… To people asking me how I am, I am perfectly fine.
A week earlier, Lani was a guest on a South African Radio2000 acclaimed lifestyle and music show BetterTogether where he unpacked the health implications and dangers of using snuff. The show is led by the experienced and award-winning broadcaster Ntombikayise Meso. Practising medicine without registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is illegal.
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