A shocking video is making the rounds on social media, showing Bongani Lani, also known as Dr Matthew Lani, being detained by security personnel at Helen Joseph Hospital.
South Africa has come to know Matthew Lani as a “medical content creator” who has been promoting himself as a medical professional under the name Dr Sanele Zingelwa on various social media platforms.
However, he has been exposed for his false credentials by the institutions he claimed to have studied at, including Wits, Cambridge International College and the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
In the video making rounds on X, Matthew Lani can be seen handcuffed to a chair, along with his infamous stethoscope, as he responds to questioning from what looks like hospital management.
During the questioning by hospital management in the video, Matthew Lani apologises for his actions, stating that he did not mean any harm. He also insists that he is not impersonating any doctor, explaining that his old surname is Zingelwa.
It turns out that Matthew Lani was caught in the hospital's theatre locker room, where doctors store their belongings while filming content for TikTok.
The hospital security personnel rightly confronted and apprehended him for his unauthorised access to the secure area.
Dr Matthew 😭 pic.twitter.com/vVUJPwVjZU
Matthew Lani maintains that he is not impersonating any doctor even after being confronted with evidence of his fraudulent behaviour.
He argues that his old surname is Zingelwa, and accuses others of spreading misinformation about him. However, his actions and the fact that he was wearing a stethoscope outside the hospital certainly raise suspicions about his true intentions.
The Gauteng Department of Health has released a statement confirming the incident. “Lani was apprehended by security personnel at the main entrance of Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday night. He was disguised in a hoodie, wearing a surgical mask, and had a stethoscope around his neck,” the department said.
Matthew Lani had previously entered the same facility to curate misleading content under the pretence that he was a qualified doctor.
After being caught, he attempted to escape by jumping through a bathroom window. However, the security personnel called for reinforcement and he was apprehended again.
“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,” the statement read.