By Lee-Yandra Paulsen
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has condemned the use of fraudulent medical letters in the aviation sector, following an investigation into Dr. Nonhlanhla Sishaba, a former senior Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME). Dr. Sishaba is accused of improper and fraudulent conduct after several regulatory non-compliances were identified, leading to enforcement action by the SACAA.
SACAA spokesperson Phindiwe Gwebu explained that, “Designated medical practitioners are required to assess aviation personnel and submit their certificates to the SACAA for verification. In the doctor’s case, the first non-compliance occurred when she failed to submit certificates within the mandatory 60-day period. This prevented the SACAA from verifying the assessments, resulting in enforcement action.”
Gwebu further noted that once the assessments were submitted for verification, significant irregularities were discovered. These included missing supporting documents and medical assessments that contradicted the findings in the certificates. The irregularities were serious enough to question the validity of the certificates issued by Sishaba.
The investigation is ongoing, but the SACAA is confident that these irregularities warrant the enforcement action taken against Sishaba. The SACAA has issued a public notice and is engaging with affected license holders to address the issue.
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