--- title: "The impact of Daily Maverick’s March stories in numbers" description: "These Daily Maverick stories published in March show the importance of our journalism in holding people to account while casting a light on those who need help. Your readership supports this vital work." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "JOURNALISM MATTERS" author: "Daily Maverick" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-04-20-the-impact-of-daily-mavericks-march-stories-in-numbers/" published: "2026-04-20T13:05:35" updated: "2026-04-21T20:40:37" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 624 --- # The impact of Daily Maverick’s March stories in numbers > These Daily Maverick stories published in March show the importance of our journalism in holding people to account while casting a light on those who need help. Your readership supports this vital work. By Daily Maverick · Published 20 April 2026, 15:05 SAST · Updated 21 April 2026, 22:40 SAST ## Key points - Daily Maverick's March stories highlight crucial insights: R11.3-million linked to State Capture discovered through ATM deposits. - Justice Minister announces plan for 50 new judges, addressing judicial capacity concerns sparked by a Daily Maverick opinion piece. - Rebecca Davis’s “Invisible Heist” series prompts a national dialogue on banking accountability amid rising digital fraud incidents. - Investigative reports on illegal mining - and Antarctic oversight draw significant political attention and action, proving journalism's impact. ## Content ### 706 **ATM deposits linked to a State Capture slush fund** By analysing 706 cash deposits, Pieter-­Louis Myburgh [traced R11.3-million tied to former Transnet and Eskom boss Brian Molefe](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-25-molefe-slush-fund-atm-data-links-r11m-in-cash-deposits-to-ex-eskom-boss-locations/) through a suspected slush fund account. ATMs near Molefe’s homes and workplaces were used and deposits spiked after major career moves. This left a physical and digital trail of State Capture that can no longer be ignored. ![P27 impact in numbers](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/gh3hF0UGgIxl0hU0ETQe52eXTZ0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2991/ED_555757_644737.jpg) *Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi at Orlando Communal Hall on 3 May 2025. (Photo: Fani Mahuntsi / Gallo Images)* ### **1** **Major victory for judicial capacity** In a [Daily Maverick opinion piece](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-02-13-ramaphosas-specialised-courts-plan-misses-the-real-crisis-in-sas-judiciary/?dm_source=blocks-horizontal&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform), Mbekezeli Benjamin from advocacy group Judges Matter argued that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s specialised courts were a plaster on a bullet wound. The real fix would be more judges. On 4 March, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced a plan in Parliament to appoint a minimum of 50 new judges countrywide – a 20% increase for the courts. ![P27 impact in numbers](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Xd3Okxqd-cPhpbGbKVrfazqJ6Og=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2991/Rebecca-bank-fraud-part4_437791_404741.jpg) *Illustrative image: Bank cards; microchip; magnifying glass; torn paper. (Images: Freepik; Illustration: Daniella Lee Ming-Yesca)* ### 98,000 **Digital fraud incidents put under the microscope** Commercial crime is South Africa’s fastest-growing criminal category, but the banks would prefer you to think it’s always your fault. [Rebecca Davis’s four-part “Invisible Heist” series](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-22-how-commercial-crime-quietly-became-sas-most-dangerous-growth-industry/) pulled back the curtain on a system in which banks win 79% of fraud disputes while victims face the secondary ordeal of institutional silence. By showcasing the one South African bank with zero fraud and confronting the insider-job question head-on, the series sparked a national conversation about banking accountability. ![P27 impact in numbers](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/HYKuowTW71fsLQng7F7Ck0Yd0uw=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2991/WFD_4187_472906_406953.jpg) *The Blesbokspruit catchment area in Gauteng is a critical wetland. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ### 1 **Illegal mining operation reversed** Ed Stoddard and Felix Dlangamandla are becoming a permanent headache for rogue miners. After their [exposé on Upward Spiral’s unauthorised tailings work](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-02-exposed-the-sordid-tale-of-a-dubious-mins-mine-tailings-operation-that-threatens/) near the Marievale Bird Sanctuary, the company suspended operations and deployed a bulldozer to restore the site. ![P27 impact in numbers](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/cpyWdKmnI6Fwc1ndgPRHedC4h88=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2991/Crystal_Clear_Waters_Of_Antarctica_242374501_492801.jpeg) *The clear waters of Antarctica. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)* ### **5** **Years of careful Antarctic reporting heard by the US Senate to force oversight** For five years, [Tiara Walters](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tiarawalters/?dm_source=article-author-bar&dm_medium=link&dm_campaign=author_profile) has been the only journalist reading the fine print about Russian “science” masquerading as Antarctic mineral activities. In February, this work reached the highest state levels. The chair of the US Senate’s foreign relations committee [challenged Trump’s nominee](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-05-us-senate-chair-russia-violating-treaty-in-antarctic-oil-gas-hunt-via-cape-town/) for Antarctica to demonstrate how he would push back against Russian mining ambitions. At a UK Antarctic inquiry, her reporting on [Russian Antarctic prospecting](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-05-us-senate-chair-russia-violating-treaty-in-antarctic-oil-gas-hunt-via-cape-town/) was formally cited as evidence of the need for new treaty oversight. Her findings have now been codified into [UK foreign policy](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-22-westminster-moves-to-counter-russian-mining-in-antarctica-after-daily-maverick-probe/). ![P27 impact in numbers](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/TSdXf3IUhl_5piyjqWBi6IYbBOY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2991/Tamsin-ECD-nutrition2_341241_551998.jpg) *Full bellies mean healthier children. (Photo: John Moore / Getty Images)* ### R336-million **In unspent funds found to feed hungry kids** While children go hungry, the state has been sitting on a substantial early childhood development nutrition budget. [Tamsin Metelerkamp’s investigation into R336-million in unspent funds](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-19-children-go-hungry-while-r336-million-for-early-childhood-nutrition-remains-unspent/) sent shockwaves through the sector. The Centre for Early Childhood Development has since turned the reporting, and its accompanying Ubuntoons cartoon, into a lobbying weapon to force the government to stop hoarding and start feeding the kids. ![Eskom](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/fzTaSk9kX4CsbtvumJioWQ0Wkik=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/11411248.jpg) *Powerlines lead from Eskom's Lethabo coal-fired power station in the Free State on 13 April 2023. (Photo: EPA / Kim Ludbrook)* ### 1,000 **Megawatts of power guzzling exposed** The AI boom sounds good until the water and electricity bills arrive. Tony Carnie and Lindsey Schutters revealed that a single proposed data centre in Durban could gobble 25% of the city’s electricity. Their [“Power Guzzlers” series](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-08-growth-spurt-of-data-centres-could-threaten-sas-electricity-and-water-supply/) uncovered plans for a staggering 1,000MW expansion – enough to trigger an entire stage of load shedding. The Global Investigative Journalism Network named it a top global investigation, and MPs in Parliament began using Daily Maverick’s reporting to hold tech giants accountable for their environmental footprint. **DM** *This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.* ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/9qYuO1L-w9FhsLGLq8VBsknhfVc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2991/DM-17042026001CPTJHB_115125.jpg)