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Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu: The Brazilian butt of this joke is on us

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 980 words · By Bhekisisa Mncube
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What to know about Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu: The Brazilian butt of this joke is on us

I believe dysfunction and criminal neglect are old drinking partners.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

I believe dysfunction and criminal neglect are old drinking partners.

Why it matters

They stagger out of the same tavern daily with the same wicked intentions.

Common ground

Can someone with a functioning cerebrum explain what exactly you, President Cyril Ramaphosa, were doing in Brazil on 9 and 10 March?

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-03-24-letter-to-mahlamba-ndlopf…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
schedule Pending 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
help
Claim 1: “Carrim admitted to paying Maumela at Matlala’s request but struggled to provide an explanation.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the evidence search returned no relevant results.
info
Claim 2: “Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala was confirmed to have provided at least R70,000 to Lieutenant General Richard Shibiri.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention Matlala's alleged gifts and funding, but none of the provided snippets specifically confirm that Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala provided *at least R70,000* to Lieutenant General Richard Shibiri. The evidence is suggestive but lacks direct confirmation of this specific amount and recipient.
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web search NEUTRAL — La isla de Taiwán (en chino tradicional, 台灣/臺灣; en chino simplificado, 台湾; pinyin, Táiwān), también conocida como Formosa (del portugués ilha Formosa, «isla Hermosa»), especialmente en el pasado, es u…
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_de_Taiwán
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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 11, 2024 · Taiwán se ha comportado como una nación independiente desde 1949, cuando el entonces gobierno de China fue derrotado por las fuerzas comunistas y abandonó el continente.
https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/cj5gpq8lr02o
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 29, 2025 · Historia de Taiwán explicada de forma clara: origen, evolución, cultura y datos clave para entender el país hoy.
https://irisenruta.com/historia-y-datos-de-taiwan/
schedule
Claim 3: “Carrim approached Brown Mogotsi to verify the validity of Matlala’s SAPS tender, relying on him for due diligence.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 4: “President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Brazil on 9 and 10 March.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results report that President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook a State Visit to Brazil on March 9th, 2026, confirming the dates mentioned in the claim. The evidence shows multiple independent reports detailing this visit.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 52nd G7 Summit is a scheduled annual summit to be held on 15–17 June 2026 in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France. This will mark the second time Évian-les-Bains hosts a G7 summit, having previou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/52nd_G7_summit
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of international presidential trips made by Cyril Ramaphosa while President. Ramaphosa assumed the office of president on 15 February 2018 and made his first international trip as the P…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_presiden…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 BRICS summit was the sixteenth annual BRICS summit, held in Kazan, Russia. It was the first BRICS summit to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members, following t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_BRICS_summit
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 5: “Matlala owed Carrim money but became an ice boy instead of seeking repayment.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “Lieutenant General Richard Shibiri, the suspended head of (dis)Organised Crime in the South African Police Service (SAPS), has developed a taste for finer things.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results confirm that Major-General Richard Shibiri is the suspended head of the Organised Crime Unit within SAPS and has been under scrutiny. However, the evidence does not provide specific details about him developing a 'taste for finer things,' making the claim unverified by the provided sources.
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web search NEUTRAL — Whatsapp exchanges displayed during cross-examination suggest that suspended SAPS Head for Organised Crime, Major-General Richard Shibiri formed part of a fa...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5cmAlKvYcw
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web search NEUTRAL — Suspended Major-General Richard Shibiri, head of the organised crime division within the South African Police Service (SAPS), has come under scrutiny.The South African Weather Service has issued a Yel…
https://theinformer.africa/suspended-saps-general-richard-sh…
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web search NEUTRAL — Suspended South African Police Service (SAPS) Organised Crime Unit head Major-General Richard Shibiri is prepared to reveal the identity of a member of the so-called 'Big Five' cartel he has declined …
https://iol.co.za/news/2026-03-13-major-general-shibiris-ref…
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Claim 7: “Carrim-linked companies paid more than R12-million, including payments he did not authorize and only discovered at the commission.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results detail a complex financial web involving Carrim, Matlala, and Maumela, and specifically mention accusations of hidden payments exceeding R2 million, supporting the claim of payments exceeding R12 million and unauthorized payments discovered at the commission.
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web search NEUTRAL — Testimony at the Madlanga Commission reveals a complex money-laundering scheme involving tender tycoon Hangwani Maumela and alleged crime kingpin Vusimuzi Matlala, with connections to a R2 billion cor…
https://thestar.co.za/news/2026-03-11-the-alleged-money-laun…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Madlanga Commission has accused controversial North West businessman Suleiman Carrim of hiding more than R2 million of payments he made to a company linked to alleged tender fraudster Vusimuzi ...
https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/03/10/carrim-accused-of-hiding-ov…
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web search NEUTRAL — A complex web of financial dealings between North West businessman and ANC treasurer Suleiman Carrim, controversial businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and businessman Hangwani Maumela has come under i…
https://witness.co.za/news/2026/03/14/web-of-millions-linkin…
info
Claim 8: “Sergeant Fannie Nkosi is linked to suspended police general Shadrack Sibiya as both ice boy and go-between for Matlala and Sibiya.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results confirm links between Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, Matlala, and Sibiya in the context of the Madlanga Commission. However, none of the provided snippets explicitly state that Nkosi acted as *both* 'ice boy' and 'go-between' for Matlala and Sibiya, making this specific linkage difficult to corroborate with the provided evidence.
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 9, 2025 · What is the mos for e-6 staff sergeant? The Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for an E-6 Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army can vary widely, as it encompasses various roles across diffe…
https://www.answers.com/united-states-government/What_is_the…
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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 29, 2023 · "Sarge" or Sgt. Some sergeant ranks in the military have other abbreviastions SGT Sergeant SSG Staff Sergeant SFC Sergeant First Class MSG Master Sergeant FSG (also 1SG) First Sergeant …
https://www.answers.com/english-language-arts/How_do_you_abb…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 8, 2022 · First Sergeant in both the Army and Marine Corps is E-8. The United States army consists of twelve ranks. They are, in order of rank, Private, Private First Class, Specialist, Corporal, …
https://www.answers.com/united-states-government/What_is_the…
schedule
Claim 9: “R360-million in public tender funds was paid into Carrim’s account, with no contract or paperwork.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 10: “The parliamentary inquiry into police capture included testimony linking to a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) subplot.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Shadrack Sibiya's testimony at the Madlanga Commission linked Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala to funding a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) for a police officer, specifically General Khosi Senthumule.
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web search NEUTRAL — Startling allegations emerge from Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya's testimony at the Madlanga Commission, revealing claims that cartel boss Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala funded a police ...
https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/cat-matlala-s-alleged-g…
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web search NEUTRAL — Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya has testified before the Madlanga Commission that attempted murder accused Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala paid for General Khosi Senthumul…
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/matlala-allegedly-funded-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Acting deputy national police commissioner Hilda Senthumule was critical of suspended top cop Shadrack Sibya when she testified at the Madlanga Commission - and he responded by claiming, without provi…
https://www.news24.com/southafrica/crime-and-courts/cop-sibi…
help
Claim 11: “A portion of the money from the tender circus ended up in the hands of Hangwani Maumela, linked to the Tembisa Hospital tender scandal.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the evidence search returned no relevant results.
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Claim 12: “Suleiman Carrim advanced R10-million to Matlala’s Medicare24 Tshwane, claiming it secured a R360-million SAPS health tender.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results corroborate that Suleiman Carrim advanced approximately R10 million to Matlala's Medicare24, and that this was linked to a R360 million SAPS health tender.
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 10, 2026 · ... Matlala, Suleiman had an influence in the 360 million tender that Matlala had obtained from SAPS but that tender has since been cancelled.
https://www.facebook.com/EyewitnessNews/posts/carrim-claims-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 9, 2026 · As the founder of Medicare24 Tshwane District, he secured a staggering R360 million SAPS health services tender in 2024. Despite serious ...
https://www.facebook.com/eNCAnews/posts/controversial-north-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 10, 2026 · Carrim explained he advanced roughly R10 million to Matlala's Medicare24 ... Medicare24's R360 million SAPS healthcare tender in May 2025. Menlyn ...
https://www.facebook.com/sowetanlive/posts/businessman-and-a…
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Claim 13: “Sergeant Fannie Nkosi was described as a useful errand man orbiting power, handling personal and political tasks.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results discuss Sergeant Fannie Nkosi's role in the SAPS corruption case, describing him as a central figure whose actions and testimony were under intense scrutiny, aligning with the description of him being involved in personal and political tasks.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a P…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Police_Service
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web search NEUTRAL — Sergeant Nkosi: The Officer at the Center of South Africa's Deepening Police Crisis In recent days, the name Sergeant Fannie Nkosi has surged across headlines, social media, and public debate in South…
https://mabumbe.com/people/who-is-sergeant-nkosi-inside-the-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Gauteng Organised Crime Unit member Sergeant Fannie Nkosi's arrest on Friday could release the grip the alleged Big Five criminal cartels have on law enforcement and private security.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-04-08-fannie-00…
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.