Gauteng police say they are continuing to investigate the social media abuse case opened by former Cabinet minister Lindiwe Sisulu against activist Goolam Vawda, as Vawda finds himself in a spat with the Sunday World newspaper over a ‘reneged contract’.
Sisulu laid a criminal complaint on 21 July 2024 at the Roodepoort police station, accusing Vawda of cyberbullying, hate speech, and publishing defamatory content targeting her and others via social media.
A year later, there have been no reported arrests or developments, despite the fact that Vawda has taken to X (previously known as Twitter) saying that he had signed a binding sales agency agreement with Fundudzi Media (Sunday World).
Vawda claims that he had a six month contract with the newspaper, which was recently purchased by new owners which include broadcast journalist John Bailey, but that the newspaper had dumped him while he had expended considerable personal expenses.
Sunday World’s acting editor Ngwako Malatji, when asked about the agreement between Fundudzi Media and Vawda, said he did not know anything about the agreement, adding that he was shocked like everyone else when he heard about the deal via X.
Vawda claims on X that he has been negotiating with the Sunday World for some time.
Malatji said the new owner, Bailey should respond to the questions, describing them as ‘above his pay grade as an employee’.
However, efforts to get comments from the new owners were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, a journalist at the Sunday World on Wednesday revealed that he had also opened a case of crimen injuria against Vawda.
Management at Sunday World are aware of the complaint against Vawda.
The case was registered at Roodepoort Police Station.
The complaint stems from allegations in 2022 when Vawda accused the journalist of being a “huge supporter” of former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and former ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule.
Vawda also accused the journalist of soliciting money from the people he was writing about.
However, the journalist, through his legal team said the allegations were baseless and defamatory.
The lawyers requested Vawda to withdraw his posts but Vawda refused and continued.
“We had sent lawyers letters but he (Vawda) continued even after the (correspondence from my lawyers),” said the journalist who added that Vawda also accused him of taking credit for a story that had been written by his colleague.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the case opened by Sisulu is still under investigation and that no arrests had been made.
Sisulu’s legal representative, Barnabas Xulu told this week that there had been no engagement from the police since the complaint was lodged.
“There has never been any development since the case was opened. These guys [police] have disappeared,” he said.
In her affidavit, Sisulu alleged that Vawda used social media to mount a series of defamatory attacks against her.
She said these attacks were “unjustified,” “highly inflammatory,” and based on “false and derogatory” claims intended to damage her reputation and political standing.
Sisulu claims the posts formed part of a consistent pattern of personal abuse across multiple posts published on the @goolammv account.
