---
title: "Daily Maverick Greatest Hits"
description: "Today is Daily Maverick’s 15th birthday. Rebecca Davis said it best: ‘This will not come as a shock to anyone who’s seen how haggard we Maverick old-timers look these days, but it feels like a milestone worth noting: 15 years of free, fact-based, independent journalism, and whatever we call what Richard Poplak does.’"
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "DM TURNS 15"
author: "Daily Maverick"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-10-30-daily-maverick-greatest-hits/"
published: "2024-10-30T11:54:48"
updated: "2024-10-30T11:59:28"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 651
---

# Daily Maverick Greatest Hits

> Today is Daily Maverick’s 15th birthday. Rebecca Davis said it best: ‘This will not come as a shock to anyone who’s seen how haggard we Maverick old-timers look these days, but it feels like a milestone worth noting: 15 years of free, fact-based, independent journalism, and whatever we call what Richard Poplak does.’

By Daily Maverick · Published 30 October 2024, 13:54 SAST · Updated 30 October 2024, 13:59 SAST

## Key points
- Today is Daily Maverick’s 15th birthday and we thought it would be a good time to bring out our greatest hits over the years.
- Groundbreaking investigative journalism by Daily Maverick has consistently exposed corruption and misconduct in South Africa, from the Marikana massacre to the GuptaLeaks.
- High-profile scandals, including the PPE corruption and dodgy contracts, have led to significant political fallout and resignations, highlighting systemic issues in governance.
- The relentless pursuit of truth by reporters like Pauli van Wyk and Rebecca Davis has resulted in arrests and accountability for key figures in South African politics and business.
- As Daily Maverick celebrates 15 years, its commitment to uncovering the truth remains unwavering, promising continued vigilance in holding power to account.

## Content

Today, we thought it would be a good time to bring out Daily Maverick’s greatest hits over the years.

- **September 2012:**Greg Marinovich publishes[‘The murder fields of Marikana. The cold murder fields of Marikana’](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-09-08-the-murder-fields-of-marikana-the-cold-murder-fields-of-marikana/) exposing the role of the police in the horrific murder of 34 striking workers and the attempted murder of a further 78;
- **December 2015:**Marianne Thamm’s exposé reveals that the[Sunday Times’ SARS Rogue Unit reports are false](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-12-02-sars-rogue-unit-controversy-investigative-journalist-claims-sunday-times-was-part-of-an-orchestrated-effort/);
- **June 2017:** #GuptaLeaks. Daily Maverick, in partnership with amaBhungane, releases a treasure trove of emails and documents that lays bare how South Africa was sold to the Gupta family and the devastating effect it had on our country;
- **July 2017:**Pauli van Wyk’s first Scorpio exposé [reveals Eskom CEO Brian Molefe’s R30-million Eskom “golden handshake”](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-07-17-scorpio-the-pension-like-no-other-the-truth-of-brian-molefes-r30m-eskom-golden-handshake-exposed/#.WXbJTcaB2b8);
- **November 2017:**Pauli van Wyk releases the first in a[five-part investigation](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-11-21-scorpio-the-makwakwa-dossier-part-one-moyane-hogan-lovells-and-the-investigation-that-never-really-was/) into SARS’ second-in-command, Jonas Makwakwa, that would be the undoing of Makwakwa and his boss, commissioner Tom Moyane;
- **October 2018:**[Pauli van Wyk unleashes The Great VBS Heist](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-11-21-vbs-bank-heist-effs-family-ties-and-moneyed-connections/) and exposes Julius Malema and Brian Shivambu as the thieves-in-chief;
- **March 2019:**Kevin Bloom releases his Pondo King/Namaqualand investigation detailing how the[king of Western Pondoland had signed a contract with a Chinese company to lease a pristine stretch of the Wild Coast](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-03-26-china-the-pondo-king-and-namaqualand-in-pursuit-of-the-disney-playground-deal/) to develop a “Disney Playground”. The contract was stopped as a result of the investigation;
- **June 2019:**Pieter-Louis Myburgh’s continued[exposure of Ace Magashule’s corruption following the release of his bestselling book Gangster State](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-11-12-pieter-louis-myburgh-details-the-case-against-ace-magashule-theres-too-much-set-in-stone/). From the Vrede Dairy scandal, to the “stolen” Pierneef painting, the “asbestos deal” and the Free State contracts scandal. Ace Magashule was expelled, finally, from the ANC in June 2023. He still awaits his trial;
- **October 2020:**Mark Heywood brings to light the[PPE corruption](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-02-sas-r2bn-unlicensed-emergency-ppe-bombshell/) in Gauteng. Thanks to his work, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has recovered hundreds of millions of rands so far;
- **February 2021:**Pieter-Louis Myburgh reveals how Health Minister[Zweli Mkhize awarded a dodgy R150-million communications contract to Digital Vibes](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-23-zweli-mkhizes-family-friend-and-ex-private-secretary-pocket-covid-19-cash-via-r82m-department-of-health-contracts/). The scandal ultimately resulted in Mkhize stepping down as minister;
- **April 2021:**Rebecca Davis and Victoria O’Regan’s exposé of[DA Western Cape boss Bonginkosi Madikizela’s fake qualifications](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-13-da-western-cape-chief-bonginkosi-madikizela-does-not-have-a-bcom-degree-as-publicly-claimed/) resulted in his resignation;
- **September 2021:**Mark Heywood exposes the PPE[Red Roses scandal](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-20-la-vie-en-rose-a-single-mpumalanga-company-robbed-saps-of-hundreds-of-millions-in-covid-19-ppe-tender/) around an irregularly awarded tender to the amount of R515-million. The matter has been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority following an investigation by the SIU;
- **May 2022:**After years of Jessica Bezuidenhout doggedly reporting on and investigating Trillian and Transnet,[Eric Wood and Siyabonga Gama are arrested](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-05-27-state-capture-trillians-wood-transnets-gama-among-big-fish-arrested/)**;**
- **August 2022:**Peter Fabricius and Pauli van Wyk expose the secret visit by Vladimir Putin’s No 2,[Igor Sechin, to South Africa](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-26-putins-number-two-igor-sechin-secretly-visited-south-africa-days-after-blinken-ramaphosa-professes-ignorance/);
- **October 2022:**Rebecca Davis exposes[UCT vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng for misleading the university’s governing bodies](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-10-03-dark-days-accusations-of-capture-and-governance-instability-rock-uct/). Phakeng has since left. The report on her performance should be released by the end of the year;
- **November 2022:**Ferial Haffajee[exposes Joburg Roads Agency head Tshepo Mahanuke’s fake qualifications](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-13-joburg-roads-agency-boss-bought-a-doctorate-and-claimed-a-harvard-business-school-masters-degree-that-doesnt-exist/). Following this, Mahanuke was placed on special leave pending an investigation and then fired in June 2023;
- **February 2023:**Rebecca Davis exposes the[SA Tourism/ Tottenham Hotspur proposed R1-billion deal](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-01-31-from-lindiwe-sisulu-with-love-inside-sa-tourisms-r1bn-proposal-to-sponsor-tottenham-hotspur/). Thanks to her reporting, the deal was stopped;
- **2016-2023:**Marianne Thamm doggedly pursued[Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-08-the-rise-and-slow-fall-of-john-hlophe-the-judge-who-almost-took-the-judiciary-down-with-him/). In 2024, Hlophe was finally impeached;
- **March 2023:**Kevin Bloom details the[four cartels operating within Eskom](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-27-introducing-the-four-crime-cartels-that-have-brought-eskom-and-south-africa-to-their-knees/); and
- **August 2024:** Investigative reports by Pauli van Wyk (Daily Maverick) and Kyle Cowan (News24) reveal that[Justice Minister Thembi Simelane took a loan of more than half a million rand from a company that brokered unlawful investments of R349-million into VBS Mutual Bank](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-08-26-exclusive-justice-minister-took-half-a-million-rand-loan-from-accused-vbs-investment-broker-in-2016/) by the Polokwane Municipality while she was mayor of the city in 2016.

Thanks for reading us for 15 years, stay tuned. **DM**

**Read more:**[These are the people who keep the DM pot cooking behind *and* in front of the scenes](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-15-years-2/)