Celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana — alleged partner-in-crime of fugitive Thabo Bester — has been accused of stealing the identity of Dr Mmereka Ntshani, or “Dr Pashy”, another famous doctor.
This emerged after the arrest of the wanted couple after being in possession of several identity documents.
Dr Magudumana’s new persona — Dr Mmereka Patience Martha Ntshani — has turned out to be true identity of associate, medical doctor and philanthropist Dr Pashy.
The Dr Pashy Foundation — which identifies, along with the Power Women Group and the International Power Women Foundation, as the organisation — on Monday released a statement announcing that Magudumana had “stolen the identity of our founder” and that they were seeking legal advice on the matter.
According to the organisation, Ntshani hosted a medical seminar in 2020 and Magudumana had been invited to be a guest speaker. After this function, the Dr Pashy Foundation had entered into a public relations agreement with Vibes Africa Incorporated International — said to be “wholly owned by Dr Nandipha Magudumana”.
Dr Pashy, she said in a statement, neither she nor her organisation was aware of Magudumana having been arrested in possession of a fake passport with the stolen identity of her industry colleague.
Ntshani and the organisation said they had never received funding from Magudumana or any foundation or organisation linked to her, and were committed to continue their own upliftment schemes and philanthropic endeavours.
“Dr Ntshani and the organisation distance themselves from Dr Nandipha Magudumana,” the organisation said.
Like Magudumana, Dr Pashy is a glamorous doctor with a picture-perfect Instagram account and large following. The 2020 event titled Doctors Network Presents was attended by former Top Billing presenter Michael Mol and the late Dr Sindi van Zyl.
Dr Magudumana and Bester have been on the run since last month when allegations surfaced that Bester, who was believed to have died in a fire at the Mangaung prison where he was jailed, had orchestrated the blaze as a decoy to flee.
The charred body found in the cell was confirmed through DNA to not be his.
The couple was spotted together in a Sandton shop last year.
He had been incarcerated for rape and murder.
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