Fake doctor Matthew Lani has been banned on TikTok for posing as a real doctor and giving out medical advice.
On 9 October, Dr Matthew Lani, who also claims to be Sanele Zingelwa, has been trending across all social media platforms as people doubt his medical qualifications. Dr Matthew is prominent on TikTok for dishing out medical advice. He is also an HIV/Aids activist who has revealed that he is living positively.
He claimed he studied medicine at Wits University, but the institution dropped a statement saying they don’t have him in their records.
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) also clarified that Dr Matthew is not a registered doctor. The witty influencer had claimed he works at Helen Joseph Hospital in the Gauteng Department of Health.
The department released a stern response, revealing it is opening a criminal case against Dr Matthew:
“Lani managed to weave his way into the system pretending to be in the employ of Helen Joseph Hospital, where he moved around the hospital corridors curating content for social media.
Further investigations have revealed that Dr Sanele Zingelwa, the name which Lani claims is his real name, belongs to a second-year medical intern at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital.”
Earlier today, the fake doctor took to his TikTok and went live to clarify his issue. As he was explaining, TikTok took down his account and banned him.
The social media platform frowns upon impersonation, and its Community Guidelines specify:
“We do not allow accounts that pose as another person or entity in a deceptive manner. When we confirm a report of impersonation, we may ask the user to revise the profile or may ban the account.”
Source iHarare
