BREAKING | Goolam Vawda, notorious @Goolamv X account operator, found dead
Goolam Muhammed Suliman Vawda, 49, had been using the social media alias @goolammv to discredit and threaten journalists, government officials, entrepreneurs, and politicians from South Africa for six years.
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Notorious information peddler Goolam Mohammed Suliman Vawda, who operated on X under the handle @Goolammv, has been found dead in a Johannesburg Hotel.
While investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death are currently under way, sources close to the investigation told The Star he had been served court papers relating to charges of fraud, cyberbullying, hate speech and publishing defamatory content targeting politicians, media personalities and others earlier this week.
Vawda, who was unmasked in 2024 by Independent Media, was accused of being a tenderpreneur and political influencer with links to high-ranking ANC officials and a history of shifting political allegiances.
Identified as the man behind the infamous @Goolammv account, Vawda's social media has been described as a "sock puppet" used to manipulate political narratives, switching support from former President Jacob Zuma to Cyril Ramaphosa, and later aligning with the DA/ANC Government of National Unity (GNU).
Investigations revealed Vawda had access to sensitive government information, including ministerial appointments, and was allegedly amplified by a bot network. Reports also linked him to fraudulent tender activities.
This is a developing story.