Matthew Lani, a controversial content creator, has revealed why the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) was unable to contact him for an interview regarding his complaint against the Gauteng department of health.
Lani told Sunday World that police confiscated his cellphone after criminal charges against him were dropped in 2023.
Thus, he could not respond to the SAHRC requests for additional evidence.
He lodged a complaint with the SAHRC earlier this year that he was denied his HIV/Aids medication by the department.
Last week, the commission said it had closed its investigation into Lani’s complaint due to a failure to receive a response and additional evidence from him.
Cellphone confiscated
“The SAHRC tried to contact me, but unfortunately, the police had taken my phone. When they returned it, the SAHRC case was already closed,” Lanin said.
“Remember, the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] said the [criminal] matter lacked evidence and that the docket would be taken back to the Hawks for further investigation.
“The further investigation involved the Hawks searching my property and taking my iPhone, Ipad and laptop to search them and see if they could find more evidence linking me to the matter.
“This happened while the SAHRC was busy with its investigation, and for that reason, they were unable to get hold of me and get the evidence they needed, plus the witness statement.”
He explained further: “So, since the role of the SAHRC was to tell the [Gauteng] department [of health] and the clinics to allow me to get access to medication, my lawyer and I felt it was not necessary for me to reopen the matter since a local doctor had helped me for free and my family contributed money to get me ARVs from the pharmacy.
“My family said I should just leave them [SAHRC] and focus on my lawyer and taking civil action against the department.”
Investigation closed
Last week, Zamantungwa Mbeki, the SAHRC Gauteng provincial manager, said the commission’s investigation into Lani’s complaint had been closed.
She said this was because Lani failed to provide the commission with additional evidence to substantiate his claims that the department denied him access to its public health facilities so that he could receive his HIV/Aids medication.
Mbeki said the commission received a complaint from Lani.
In the complaint, Lani said the department was denying him access to its hospitals, among them Helen Joseph Hospital.
He also said it was preventing him from getting his HIV/Aids treatment.
After receiving Lani’s complaint, Mbeki said the commission informed the Gauteng health department about the allegations.
“The department conducted its own investigation and spoke with its facilities regarding the allegations,” Mbeki said.
“The commission received a report from the department in February 2024 in which they refuted the allegations.
“The department said from its investigation it could not find evidence supporting the allegations.”
Failure to provide more evidence
The commission gave Lani the department’s response and asked him for additional evidence. However, Lani failed to provide the requested information.
“We made numerous attempts to contact the complainant [Lani] to give us additional evidence, but we could not make any contact with the complainant. The department refuted the allegations.
“The complainant failed to give us additional evidence, and we could not get hold of him. So, the investigation was closed,” said Mbeki.
Lani made headlines in October 2023 when he allegedly impersonated a medical doctor and recorded a series of videos on TikTok.
In the videos, he was curating content in the hospitals’ corridors.
At the Johannesburg Helen Joseph Hospital, Lani was arrested after he was apprehended by security personnel.
Lani was later charged with impersonating a medical doctor after he recorded a series of videos on TikTok.
He appeared at the Johannesburg magistrate’s court, and the charges were withdrawn.
