Suspected fake doctor arrested at South African hospital

A popular South African TikToker who allegedly claimed to be a doctor has been arrested, nearly three weeks after authorities accused him of being a fraud.

Matthew Lani was arrested by the security team at Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital as he allegedly attempted to enter the facility on Sunday night.

The authorities in Gauteng province said that he was then handed over to police.

"Lani was caught just before 8 pm disguised in a hoodie and wearing a surgical mask with a stethoscope around his neck," the department said in a statement.

It added that Lani "had previously entered the same facility to curate misleading content under the pretense that he was a qualified doctor".

Lani had built a considerable following on TikTok, where he posted medical content and sold his brand of pills.

He said he had graduated as a doctor from the University of the Witwatersrand, which the university has said was not true.

He also claimed that his real name was Dr. Sanele Zingelwa, but was exposed to have impersonated a medical intern at another facility.

The Health Professions Council of South Africa said that Lani was not a registered health practitioner.