It’s either that you hated him for sharing his opinion or respected him for his fearless bravery in discussing political topics. On Tuesday, 27 January, police opened an inquest into the death of a 50-year-old man believed to be a controversial social media commenter, Goolam Mohammed Suliman Vawda, who was found dead in his hotel room in Sandton.
His death comes just days after he was reportedly served with court papers relating to multiple charges, including fraud, cyberbullying, hate speech, and publishing defamatory content.
Sources revealed to The Star newspaper that Vowda had booked the apartment under an alias, using the name Mohammed Ahmed Vowda, with a recorded year of birth of 1995. Official records indicate that Vowda’s full name is Goolam Mohammed Suliman Vowda, born on 8 November 1975. His stay at the hotel was however, paid by a communications company. Investigators later confirmed his identity after finding a copy of a temporary driver’s license at the scene. The temporary driver’s license was taken in Durban, according to the traffic department stamp on the temporary driver’s license.
Vawda positioned himself as a political watchdog, usually accusing senior ANC leaders of corruption while simultaneously defending Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso said the police have opened an inquest docket after a 50-year-old man was found dead in his hotel room in Sandton on the morning of 27 January 2026.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has sent condolences to his family, despite often being the subject of Vawda’s sharpest attacks.
“You may have insulted me and used your handle as a propaganda weapon. I will not stoop low. May your family be consoled,” Lesufi wrote on X.
For his attacks, he faced legal challenges and criminal charges, which included former minister Lindiwe Sisulu and a senior journalist, who lodged criminal complaints against Vawda for cyberbullying, hate speech, and publishing defamatory statements against them.
Sisulu filed a criminal complaint against Vawda in July 2024. The case involves allegations of cyberbullying and defamation. He labelled Sisulu as “pro-corruption” and “pro-state capture.”
Cece Smith 