Infamous TikTok “Doctor” Matthew Lani’s account has been banned on the popular video app. The account had amassed 294,000 followers, with Lani’s likes sitting at three million.
Lani rose to fame on social media for dishing out “medical advice” to followers. However, he was outed by the University of Witwatersrand on Monday after the institution distanced itself from claims that he studied at the institution.
In a statement, Wits called on the 27-year-old to retract any and all references he made linking him to the university.
"Dr Matthew Lani's LinkedIn profile claims he studied medicine (MBBS) at Wits between 2014 and 2021. Wits does not offer an MBBS degree, but it does offer a MBBCh degree," the statement read.
Hours later, the Gauteng Department of Health confirmed that it had opened a case against Lani for impersonating a medical doctor.
The department said in October last year, Lani recorded a video complaining of non-payment as a medical intern at the Helen Joseph Hospital, and the hospital CEO was contacted to address the complaint.
"The GDoH also learnt that under the name he claims is his real name, Dr Sanele Zingelwa, Lani fabricated a story about a group of people being admitted to the Helen Joseph Hospital after ingesting a weight-loss pill. This led to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority launching an investigation in August this year and finding there was no such," the department said.
Further investigations by the department revealed that Dr Sanele Zingelwa, which Lani claims is his real name, belongs to a second-year medical intern, Dr Sanele Sobani Vambai Zingelwa, who works at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital. The real Dr Zingelwa has also opened a case against Lani.
The Health Professions Council of SA says the name Matthew Zingelwa-Lani does not appear on the country's register of health practitioners.
Lani also claimed to have a high school diploma from Cambridge International College. However, Cambridge issued a statement stating that Lani never enrolled with them.
“In light of these false claims, Cambridge International College is taking immediate action to protect its reputation and the integrity of its academic processes. We are in the process of seeking legal counsel to address this matter and will pursue all available avenues to rectify the situation,” the institution said.
Lani claimed to have finished Matric at the age of 16 after skipping Grades 4, 6, and 8.
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