Bogus doctor Matthew Lani drags Gauteng Department of Education to court
Controversial social media personality Matthew Bongani Lani is taking the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to court over a media statement that branded him a “bogus doctor.”
Lani is demanding R2.5 million in damages, claiming the statement was false, defamatory, and damaging to both his reputation and mental well-being.
Filed at the Johannesburg High Court, Lani’s lawsuit argues that the department’s statement, which alleged he masqueraded as a qualified doctor without even having a matric certificate, caused widespread harm.
“The defamatory media statement published by the defendant was viewed approximately 1.4 million times on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter),” the court papers reveal.
“It was further republished by major news outlets, both locally and internationally, significantly increasing the visibility of the false claims.”
According to Lani, the fallout from the statement led to intense public ridicule, harassment, and the loss of professional opportunities.
He maintains that the department’s claims were released prematurely, at a time when no formal charges had been brought against him.
Although he was arrested in October 2023, the National Prosecuting Authority later declined to prosecute due to lack of evidence, and the case was officially dropped in September 2024 after further investigation by the Hawks.
Lani argues that the GDE painted him as guilty before any legal findings were made, using terms like “masquerading” to describe him without justification.
“The defendant’s conduct violated the plaintiff’s constitutional right to dignity,” the papers state.
“The defendant’s public disclosure of the plaintiff’s sensitive personal information, including references to [disability] education and mental health, amounted to an unjustifiable infringement of the plaintiff’s right to privacy and dignity.”
The influencer also disputes the department’s claim that he had attended Fourways Adult Centre and only passed one subject in 2016.
He insists he was never a student there. Instead, he says he was enrolled between 2012 and 2017 at CJ Education, a now-defunct private Cambridge International school, which operated independently of the department.
Lani says his earlier school journey began at Robin Hills Primary School before transferring to Bordeaux Primary in 2007.
This transfer, according to him, is confirmed by a letter from Bordeaux’s principal dated June 2, 2025.
He further claims he had skipped a grade during his early schooling, details he believes the GDE failed to disclose in their public statement.
In May 2025, Lani reportedly submitted a formal request for his educational records under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), but says the department denied the request, calling it frivolous.
He argues the refusal was not only unlawful but also an intentional move to prevent him from accessing the truth to correct the public narrative.
Ultimately, Lani accuses the department of either acting with malice or gross negligence by publishing unverified information as fact, and says the damage to his name and career is still ongoing.
