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An ongoing political scandal playing out via an anonymous X account has South Africans feeling like we have our very own Lady Whistledown – but unlike Bridgerton, this secret gossiper is far from being exposed.

With over 125k followers on X, the mysterious @Goolammv has been successfully incognito since 2018, providing scathing political commentary (and occasional disinformation) from the safety of a pseudonym.

According to well-known political analyst slash TikTok guru Zethu Gqola, the end may be in sight for @Goolammv, since politicians like Lindiwe Sisulu have embarked on a witch hunt to uncover the X user.

Media house IOL has also contributed to the urgency of unmasking @Goolammv, but in doing so, it has put itself in the proverbial firing range.

IOL revealed this week that they believe a man named Goolam Mohammed Sulieman Vawda, 49, is the individual behind the controversial and anonymous account.

In a media conference held on Monday, Independent Media Editor-in-Chief Adri Senekal De Wet disclosed the alleged true identity of the account holder:

“We revealed that the @Goolammv account is a sock puppet operated by an individual with connections to high-profile politicians and senior government officials.”

According to IOL, Goolam Vawda, originally from KwaZulu-Natal, is known to travel frequently between Gauteng and the Western Cape and his political alliances have seen dramatic shifts over the years, starting with support for former President Jacob Zuma, transitioning to Cyril Ramaphosa, and currently aligning with the DA/ANC GNU.

This flip-flopping of political affiliations has raised further questions about his motivations and the extent of his influence. In addition, it appears Vawda has also maintained relationships with senior officials in both the ANC and DA, underscoring the depth of his connections within the local political landscape.

Investigators were able to track the phone number linked to the @Goolammv account, connecting it to multiple email addresses owned by Vawda.

While this unmasking would have made a nice neat end to the story, Vawda has denied all allegations in a public video AND threatened legal action against IOL.

JUST IN:@IOL has until the close of business today to retract all statements that the X account of @goolammv is that of a KZN lecturer M Y Vawda. Attorney Rupert Candy has warned them if they fail stop do so, an urgent high court application will be launched against them. pic.twitter.com/O8aqa6Skts

— Ismail Abramjee (@IsmailAbramjee) July 17, 2024

Amidst Vawda trying to clear his name, the @Goolammv account has continued to take potshots at those trying to expose the X account, bringing up past IOL foibles like the falsely reported 10 Thembisa babies.

These are the people who saw the Independent Media Tembisa 10 babies:

Iqbal Surve
Dali Mpofu
Mzwandile Masina
Busisiwe Mkhwebane

It is a list made up of the worst of the worst.
To this day Iqbal Surve still claims the babies are alive. Not sure if the other three… pic.twitter.com/7eMcFIDX69

— Goolam (@goolammv) July 16, 2024

Despite the drama, @Goolammv seems to be enjoying the spotlight, with every detail from the press being shared from the account and plenty of fans backing the anonymous commentator.

Zethu Gqola seems most up-to-date with the whirlwind, so check out her round-up on TikTok below:

@zethugqola Who is behind the X account Goolam? #tiktoknews #southafrica #goolam ♬ original sound – Zethu

Don’t come for us @Goolammv, we’re just watching this unfold like the Bridgerton episode it is.

[source:TikTok&IOL]