Goolammv ‘unmasking’ raises more questions than it answers

Independent Media’s alleged “unmasking” of various members of the public in hopes of revealing the identity of the person behind the @Goolamm X account are worrying. At the core of IOL and @Goolammv’s squabble lies opposing political alignments, one pro Jacob Zuma and the other pro-Ramaphosa, with the battle lines drawn online, writes The Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change staff reporter.

Social media platforms were recently abuzz when Independent Media held a press conference revealing that they had unmasked the person they believe is behind the @Goolammv account.

The media house initially revealed that Mohammed Yacoob Vawda was behind the @Goolammv account on X. However, Vawda, a lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal denied the allegations, adding that he and his family had been receiving threats as a result.

Recent reports have revealed that the lecturer is suing Independent Media, its chairperson Iqbal Survé and editors for R1.2 million for defamation as a result of the mistaken identity.

A day later, IOL’s Chief Executive Officer Viasen Soobramoney and Independent Media’s editor-in-chief Adri Senekal De Wet apologised to Mohammed Yacoob Vawda for mistakenly identifying him as the individual behind @Goolammv, stating that the account was instead run by another individual called  “Goolam Mohammed Sulieman Vawda”.

In the five-minute video update, De Wet and Soobramoney said Goolam Mohammed Sulieman Vawda had properties in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and had “access to sensitive information” pertaining to the government. De Wet further claimed that the individual had been “criminally accused on several occasions, with charges mysteriously being withdrawn”.

Soobramoney said that Independent Media had obtained several email addresses and a cellphone number linked to Goolam Mohammed Sulieman Vawda.

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Independent Media said it was also pursuing legal action against Goolam Mohammed Sulieman Vawda in the “interests of democracy and to expose the vast network of misinformation peddlers and their handlers”.

Besides the claims in the video, there was no concrete evidence to prove their claim.

Using the media to settle scores?

The @Goolammv account was created in February 2018,  the month that former president Jacob Zuma resigned following allegations of corruption and state capture.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in on 15 February 2018. An advanced X search reveals that the account has been sharing pro-Ramaphosa messaging while criticising figures such as Julius Malema and former president Jacob Zuma.

In addition to its pro-Ramaphosa and anti-Zuma messaging, the account is also heavily critical of the EFF and its leader Julius Malema.

The identity of the individual behind the Goolammv account has been an area of interest for some users on social media, particularly those aligned with the anti-Ramaphosa narrative.

Over the years, the account has been alleged to belong to some public officials, including Government Communication and Information System’s Tasneem Carrim and Athi Geleba, who is the head of digital communications in the Presidency. Posts making such allegations have failed to provide evidence to support the claim.

A post alleging that @Goolammv was being run by Carrim was ruled by Media Monitoring Africa’s Fact Checking body, Real411, as constituting potential reputational damage. It is worth noting that the account that posted the potentially damaging information contains a logo of the MK party.

Online, the @Goolammv account laughed off Independent Media’s allegations, further claiming that he/she/they would only reveal themselves if Survé paid back the R300 million loan from the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu).

On X, @Goolammv also stated that he/she/they were out of the country amid safety concerns. In a post, @Goolammv shared: “…an actual recording exists of an owner of a media house putting a price on my head. He even posted on a WhatsApp group. Multiple witnesses to this.  I don’t want to become another victim. Everything is being investigated. But my safety is currently of utmost importance and that why [sic] I am out of the country”.

Not so innocent

The @Goolammv account has also participated in sharing questionable posts on social media.

Among these are posts that perpetuate an anti-immigrant narrative online. The narrative places immigrants (particularly those from neighbouring African countries) at the centre of South Africa’s social ills, including unemployment, crime and the deterioration of public services.

The account’s unwavering support for Ramaphosa has also raised eyebrows among some online individuals.

Independent Media has positioned itself as “one of the victims of this account and has been the target of an orchestrated disinformation and misinformation campaign”.

Given their previous blunder, Independent Media will have to provide more evidence to prove that Goolam Mohammed Sulieman Vawda behind the @Goolammv X account.

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