--- title: "Exposed — Iqbal Survé and Lindiwe Sisulu’s ‘unmasking’ event goes down like a lead balloon" description: "An Independent Media attempt to expose who is behind a critical X account has backfired badly with potential legal action in the offing." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "ANALYSIS" author: "Marianne Thamm" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/mariannethamm/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-16-exposed-iqbal-surve-and-lindiwe-sisulus-unmasking-event-goes-down-like-a-lead-balloon/" published: "2024-07-16T22:56:50" updated: "2024-07-16T22:56:53" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 611 --- # Exposed — Iqbal Survé and Lindiwe Sisulu’s ‘unmasking’ event goes down like a lead balloon > An Independent Media attempt to expose who is behind a critical X account has backfired badly with potential legal action in the offing. By Marianne Thamm · Published 17 July 2024, 00:56 SAST · Updated 17 July 2024, 00:56 SAST ## Key points - A recent "sensational" exposé by Independent Media, involving a circus-like event with Lindiwe Sisulu and Iqbal Survé attempting to unmask the mysterious Goolam account, ended in chaos as the accused, UKZN lecturer Mohammed Yacoob Vawda, denied any involvement and faced threats, leaving the whole affair as messy as a decuplets’ diaper explosion. - Independent Media's "sensational" exposé backfires as YouTube channel removes video under legal threat - Former minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Iqbal Survé's attempt to unmask the Goolam Twitter account leads to accusations and denials - Mohammed Yacoob Vawda denies being behind the controversial account, receives pro bono legal support - Sisulu's claims of bugging everyone during her time as intelligence minister draw criticism, Presidency responds to allegations ## Content Those of you who get your news from legit news sites would have missed out this week on another “sensational” Independent Media “exposé,” which exploded like 10 freshly soiled decuplet nappies in Iqbal Survé’s face. A YouTube channel, News Live SA*,* which describes itself as “connected and trusted”, has since removed, under threat of legal action, a video of the event titled “#unmasking” that was held on Monday with former minister Lindiwe Sisulu. [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PblETUoFxHI) Sisulu and Survé called the gathering in Cape Town to ostensibly disclose the names of those behind the X account Goolam (@Goolammv), which has proved a thorn in the X for those accused of corruption, deceit and political flip-flopping. Sisulu blamed the account for scuppering her ANC presidential bid in 2017 alongside the bids of Zweli Mkhize and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. The account, with its 122,000 followers, has been on the social media platform since 2018, with the bio “Blocked by the axis of evil: Malema, Shivambu, Zuma. It’s a badge of honour.” But the Survé/Sisulu circus hardly had time to drop the mic when the man she doxxed as being “one of the people behind the account”, UKZN lecturer and part-time comedian Mohammed Yacoob Vawda, hit back on X denying any knowledge and saying his life was now under threat. #### **Doxxing blooper** At the conference on Monday, it was Independent’s deputy content director, Mazwi Xaba, who announced that Vawda was behind the account. Shortly afterwards, Vawda posted, “This is very weird. A lot of things have been circulating about me nationally that I am behind some twitter \[sic\] account. I don’t even use Twitter.” > Mohammed Yacoob Vawda who Independent Media accused of being behind the controversial account ([@goolammv](https://twitter.com/goolammv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)) has released a statement denying the allegations. > > The UKZN lecturer and part-time comedian said he is worried these allegations can put him and his family in danger. [pic.twitter.com/dHbY5Jw4MR](https://t.co/dHbY5Jw4MR) > > — Thabiso Goba (@ThabisoGoba2) [July 15, 2024](https://twitter.com/ThabisoGoba2/status/1812865779496312917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) He said he and his family had received threats and that the entire issue was “ridiculous and I cannot believe that this was put out in the media”. Offers of pro bono legal representation poured in for Vawda, with one X user, @BarronNaledi, proclaiming “Je Suis Goolam. Nous Sommes Goolam. We are Goolam.” At around noon on Tuesday, Goolam posted that Vawda would be getting counsel from Ben Winks with Rupert Candy appointed as his attorney. “Rupert will be consulting with Mohammed at 14:00.” At the “#unmasking” event, Sisulu gave a long and rambling account of her time as intelligence minister in the Mbeki Cabinet and admitted: “We bugged everyone.” As a former minister of intelligence, Sisulu should have placed her brain in gear before opening her mouth as, if this was the case, it was illegal. Meanwhile, the Presidency responded to Sisulu’s allegation with spokesperson Vincent Magwenya asking her to present all the info to Director-General Phindile Baleni. From his side, 'journalist' Modibe Modiba, who still owes *Daily Maverick* R100,000 in [defamation damages](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-16-court-ruling-against-modibe-modiba-an-expected-outcome-to-a-fake-story-with-dangerous-implications/) for his lies about our publication, was the first to try to expose the fingers and brain behind the Goolam account, claiming it was Tasneem Carrim from GCIS. Sisulu named Carrim as “another” person behind the account and said she worked in the President’s office. On Tuesday, Goolam posted: “IQBAL SURVÉ HAS EXPOSED ME FOR THE 4th TIME. “First I was a journalist that was part of a Kathrada Funeral WhatsApp group. Then I was a Thabo working in Pravins office. “Then I was Tasneem working in GCIS.” The entire news conference has now gone the way of the infamous 2021 Piet Rampedi and Iqbal Survé’s “[decuplets](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-10-29-revealed-independent-medias-internal-report-on-piet-rampedis-decuplets-story-found-it-was-a-hoax-and-demanded-an-apology/)” fake news disaster — down the drain. **DM**