(Note: Mr Cornelius Tanana Monama is the spokesperson to the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodin. He wrote the above content in his personal capacity and the utterances shared here do not represent The Guardian Newspaper nor its associates. The content remains of Mr Monama)
By Cornelius Tanana Monama
29 January 2026- The news of Goolam’s death is opening old wounds. For far too long, I lived under the shadow of a lie. I was wrongly accused with malicious intent of being the person behind the notorious “Goolam” Twitter account – a baseless allegation built on nothing more than suspicion and rumour.
That falsehood inflicted deep and lasting pain, isolating me within government circles and within the very movement I continue to serve with unwavering dedication. People I once regarded as friends, comrades and respected leaders began to treat me as a pariah – a persona non grata. I carried that anguish alone, wrapped in the heavy silence of loneliness. My life and the lives of my family were threatened.
Fear became my constant companion. At first, when the accusations came from those in opposing camps, I tried to brush them off and take them in stride. But when my own comrades and leaders joined the chorus, echoing the same unfounded claims without a shred of evidence, my modest world was shattered.
Doors to opportunities were slammed shut in my face. In meetings, I endured snide remarks meant to unsettle and humiliate me. When I crossed paths with certain leaders, their looks carried unmistakable contempt and hostility. If looks could kill, I know I would have died a million times. I sat in meetings, cutting a lonely figure – defeated, withdrawn, my spirit quietly eroded.
Not one of those who chose to believe the lie paused to seek the truth. In that moment, I learned what it means to stand accused of a crime I did not commit. Not one asked the simplest, most fundamental question: Where is the evidence? Instead, I was convicted in the court of public opinion without trial, publicly skinned alive and left to the wolves by people I thought were my comrades and leaders.
My feelings, my truth, my side of the story simply did not matter. Yet, in my heart of hearts, I knew that one day – perhaps not even in my lifetime – these lies would be subjected to honest scrutiny, and that only history would be capable of absolving me. I have always trusted the moon would be my witness.
I have borne this wound quietly for far too long. The last two years have been the loneliest and most painful years of my life. Today, I hope and pray that those who placed me in this cruel position will one day find it within their hearts to acknowledge their error. This is all that justice and simple humanity demand. Apology is about healing.
It is about restoring what was so unjustly torn apart. And it is about reclaiming the dignity that every human being deserves.
The Guardian 