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Pilots, air traffic controllers, cabin crew, flight engineers, and other aviation staff who were examined by Dr Nonhlanhla Sishaba, a former senior Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME), are being asked to come in for re-examination after it was found she issued fraudulent medical certificates.

On Tuesday, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it’s wrapping up an investigation into Sishaba’s alleged fraudulent misconduct. She was supposed to ensure aviation personnel met the medical standards needed for their licenses, but after several non-compliance issues, the regulator is taking action.

SACAA spokesperson Phindiwe Gwebu said the SACAA online system flagged that Sishaba continued to examine and issue medical certificates, in gross violation of civil aviation regulations, per The Citizen.

“Under the regulations, all the certificates issued from 1 April 2024 are therefore invalid. All license holders who received medical certification from Dr Sishaba from this date must present themselves for re-examination and certification to a current and valid DAME within the next 15 working days.

Gwebu said that further investigations revealed that non-medical and unauthorized personnel were allegedly used to carry out medical assessments, with fraudulent and incomplete reports being filed in the SACAA medical system. As such, Sishaba’s designation is under scrutiny due to ongoing investigations into alleged improper and fraudulent conduct.

“In 2023, an enforcement action resulted in a penalty being issued to Dr Sishaba for non-compliance. Her designation as DAME expired on 31 March 2024 and has not been renewed pending the ongoing investigations into her conduct.”

Gwebu explained that under the Civil Aviation Act, all aviation personnel, including pilots, are required to undergo regular medical assessments to ensure they are fit for their roles and maintain their licenses.

He said DAMEs are required to submit completed medical assessments with supporting medical records to the SACAA online system for verification by SACAA’s Medical Assessors. Since SACAA’s system shifted to be automated, it has “proven beneficial enabling the detection of such irregularities in real-time and without delay and improving data accuracy”.

“While this appears to be an isolated incident the SACAA warns that if any person designated with a responsibility to uphold safety, abuses that power, the Authority will not hesitate to act decisively against that individual,” Gwebu said.

Poppy Khoza, Director of Civil Aviation, confirmed that she has notified operators known to have used Dr Sishaba’s services and has issued a General Notice to the entire aviation industry, including pilots, with further instructions.

Khoza said they view these allegations in a very serious light as they have a direct impact on the ability of aviation personnel to perform their duties in a safe manner as prescribed by the CARs (Civil Aviation Regulations).

“South Africa’s aviation sector boasts an exemplary safety record, with no fatal accidents in the scheduled airline sector in nearly forty years. While our investigations are continuing, we cannot ignore these findings. Ensuring the safety of aviation services is our top priority, and we will pursue all available legal measures to resolve this issue swiftly,” Khoza said.

Khoza thanked license holders and service providers who continue to participate in the investigation.

[source:citizen]