Ntabiseng Ramokolo. Image: LinkedIn/nthabiseng-ramokolo
Days after Matthew Lani was exposed as a bogus doctor, yet another social media influencer has been found to be misleadingly presenting themselves as a healthcare professional.
Limpopo resident Nthabiseng Ramokolo is accused of falsely claiming to be a qualified pharmacist and pursuing a master’s degree.
Ramokolo’s online presence came under scrutiny when allegations surfaced suggesting she was masquerading as a healthcare worker.
The social media influencer has portrayed herself as a qualified pharmacist, sporting scrubs and a lab coat emblazoned with the University of Limpopo’s name and logo. She has also created the impression that she holds a pharmacy degree from the university.
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However, the University of Limpopo has now issued a statement dispelling the claims.
After conducting a thorough examination of their records, the institution confirmed that Ramokolo was not a pharmacy graduate at the university. Furthermore, it said she had never been a student there, debunking her claim of being a master’s student.
According to Professor Tebogo Mothiba, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Limpopo, “The records of the university do not contain any information on Nthabiseng Ramokolo, and our faculty members, as well as current and former students, have confirmed that they have never met her before.”
The institution added that the use of the University of Limpopo’s name and logo to misrepresent academic qualifications is unlawful, and it intends to take action to safeguard its reputation and the credibility of its qualifications.
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Apart from her academic misrepresentations, Ramokolo also claimed to be an employee of Dis-Chem, a prominent pharmaceutical company.
However, Dis-Chem has stated it has no record of employing anyone by the name of “Nthabiseng Ramokolo” and called the information listed on her LinkedIn account inaccurate.
Earlier this week, another TikTok influencer who posed as “Dr. Sanele Zingelwa” and passed himself off as a medical professional was exposed as a fraud.
Matthew Lani had gained recognition on TikTok for dispensing medical advice while claiming to hold a degree from Wits Medical School. He also laid claim to being the youngest South African doctor and even declared ownership of a pharmaceutical company.
But Wits University said it could not find such a person on its records.
In response to this impersonation, both the Gauteng Department of Health and the real Dr Sanele Zingelwa have taken legal action against the influencer.