New details emerge in death of online figure @Goolamv

The lifeless body of Goolam Mohammed Suliman Vowda, a controversial online political figure, was discovered inside a luxury apartment at the  At-Sandton Hotel in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning. He is believed to have died on Monday evening.

Vowda, who operated under the social media handle @Goolammv on X(formerly known as twitter), was found lying on the kitchen floor of the apartment, with several bottles of alcohol reportedly nearby. Police at the scene confirmed that an investigation is under way, but the cause of death has not yet been determined. 

According to sources in the SAPS, 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.   

Sources revealed to The Star that hotel guests alerted staff that Vowda was making a loud noise in the apartment and appeared to be acting erratically over the weekend. Hotel residents also reportedly heard noises from the apartment Monday evening. 

Vowda’s 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 told The Star that complaints had been lodged by politicians, media personalities, and other public figures who had been targeted in his social media posts.

His X account can be described as a “sock puppet,” allegedly designed to manipulate political narratives and amplify content through coordinated bot networks. He had regularly posted negative content targeting high-profile figures such as former Intelligence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, EFF leader Julius Malema, former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.

Further details from inside the apartment have raised additional questions. Sources in the police said a new pair of school shoes and an empty laptop was found at the scene. The bed also had visible blood stains and on the bedside lay a bottle of Ciroco Vodka.

As the news of Goolam’s death trended on social media on Tuesday afternoon, Lesufi took to social media: “You may have insulted me and used your handle as a propaganda weapon I will not stoop low. May your family be consoled  #RIPGoolam” he said.