Head of Investigations at Open Secrets.
Joined January 2014
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There is so much dirty money in South African property. Next week, we show how real estate agents and lawyers often enable this by looking the other way and not conducting the due diligence required by our law.
🚨 New Report Launch| For Sale: South Africa’s Property Laundromat
Join us on 14 Nov, 1pm as we reveal how SA’s luxury property market is used to launder illicit funds, enabling grand corruption in Mozambique, DRC, & Equatorial Guinea.
🎟️ Tickets: qkt.io/Property
Michael Marchant retweeted
I am really looking forward to finally giving evidence against Jacob Zuma in his & French arms company Thales’ corruption trial in February
Stalingrad no more! Zuma's infamous legal delaying strategy has finally hit a wall. His arms deal case goes to trial in Feb 2027, and his legal team didn't try to stop it. It's only taken thirty years since he allegedly received bribes to shield Thales.
BUT... Msholozi is 84 and currently in hospital. Is he going to take a page out of Schabir Shaik, his fixer who allegedly arranged the bribes. He skipped out of jail on medical parole thanks to a "terminal" diagnosis 17 years ago. He's still alive. 🙄
More likely, Zuma is legitimately quite ill and the possibility is he may not face justice at all...
news24.com/southafrica/crime…
Michael Marchant retweeted
PetroSA’s rehabilitation shortfall could cost taxpayers at least R7 billion. Decades of regulatory failure have brought us here, and once again, the public is left to foot the bill. When it comes to accountability, taxpayers are always the ones left to pay.
Read more: dailymaverick.co.za/article/…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Last week, controversial Zimbabwean tycoon and tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo died in a helicopter crash in his country. Days earlier, Open Secrets had laid a formal criminal complaint against him in South Africa.
"The criminal probe into a late tycoon’s South African assets cannot be allowed to stall", writes Michael Marchant (Open Secrets Head of Investigations)
Read more here: fm.co.za/opinion/2026-10-07-…
My piece in the FM today. Chivayo might be dead, but it’s still urgent for South African authorities to investigate his alleged crimes and the extensive assets he accumulated here.
@OpenSecretsZA
Following the death of Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, South Africa must pursue its criminal probe into his R5bn assets and show the Financial Action Task Force it is serious about money laundering.
fm.co.za/art_01a1111e597c7cf…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Last week, controversial Zimbabwean tycoon and tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo died with his wife and several members of his entourage in a helicopter crash in his country. His death drew effusive tributes from the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, among others.
Chivayo was a billionaire who appeared to make most of his money through kickbacks from corrupt tenders. He very publicly splashed this cash by buying luxury cars for the political elite in Zimbabwe, often accompanied by $250,000 in “petty cash”. All this while 60% of Zimbabweans live in poverty, struggle to obtain food and lack access to basic services.
Days before Chivayo’s death, civil society group Open Secrets laid a criminal complaint with the Hawks against him and some of his South African partners.fm.co.za/opinion/2026-10-07-…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Following the death of Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, South Africa must pursue its criminal probe into his R5bn assets and show the Financial Action Task Force it is serious about money laundering.
fm.co.za/art_01a1111e597c7cf…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Want to know who runs our newsfeed? 👀 Tune into Open Secrets fifth instalment of Who Owns South Africa investigative series on Private Media.
📅 Tuesday, 20 October 2026
⏰ 6PM
📍Homecoming Centre
Join us for food, drinks, conversation and your own report! Get your tickets for free here: quicket.co.za/events/398054-…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Looking to numb my soul tonight, it's going to be a very dark few years for Brazil and Latin America
Michael Marchant retweeted
Chivayo’s assets must be secured and preserved pending investigation, given concerns they may represent proceeds of crime. Important work from our partners at Open Secrets.
Yesterday, Zimbabwean business tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, his wife, and four others died in a helicopter crash east of Harare: sabcnews.com/sabcnews/zimbab…
Michael Marchant retweeted
This was just days after Open Secrets formally laid a criminal complaint with the Hawks against Chivayo and his South African enablers. Chivayo has long faced serious allegations of corruption in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and we believe that these matters must still be fully investigated by South African authorities.
Michael Marchant retweeted
Yesterday, Zimbabwean business tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, his wife, and four others died in a helicopter crash east of Harare: sabcnews.com/sabcnews/zimbab…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Zimbabwe tycoon Wicknell Chivayo and wife killed in helicopter crash bbc.in/4hSrLIZ
Michael Marchant retweeted
UPDATE: South African journalist Micah Reddy is free and safe. According to his brother, Niall Reddy, Micah has been deported from Djibouti and is on his way back to South Africa.
We are relieved to hear that Micah is safe and hope that his local colleague, Kooki Mahmoud, is also safe and free.
South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy has disappeared in Djibouti. His local colleague Kooki Mahmoud is also missing. They work for @ICIJorg. We call on the Government of Djibouti to urgently help ensure they are found. We all need to put pressure where we can to ensure their safe return. Please share this widely.
Michael Marchant retweeted
Breaking news: South African journalist Micah Reddy is free and safe. He was deported from Djibouti, according to his brother Niall Reddy.
Authorities claim he did not have proper media accreditation. He will return to Johannesburg soon. His fixer, Kooki Mahmoud, is apparently released without charge. More details to follow
Michael Marchant retweeted
Daily Maverick joins colleagues around the world in expressing our deep concern over the disappearance of South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy dailymaverick.co.za/article/…
Michael Marchant retweeted
ICIJ is gravely concerned for the safety of our colleague Micah Reddy (@RedMicah), ICIJ's Africa coordinator, and local journalist Mohamed Willo Ismael (“Kooki Mahmoud”).
Read ICIJ's statement: buff.ly/GZVaig5
Michael Marchant retweeted
This is deeply alarming. Micah Reddy and Kooki Mahmoud are reportedly missing in Djibouti. Their whereabouts must be clarified immediately and their safety guaranteed. South African authorities should be urgently engaging their Djiboutian counterparts to secure their safe return.
Michael Marchant retweeted
Micah is an incredible, wonderful person and also a gem of a South African, an asset to all of us.
This needs consular support and diplomatic pressure from @DIRCO_ZA, paging @ClaysonMonyela, @Chrispin_JPhiri
AmaBhungane is deeply concerned by reports that our former colleague, South African journalist Micah Reddy, and his local fixer, Kooki Mahmoud, are missing in Djibouti.
Micah is a former amaBhungane journalist and a valued member of the investigative journalism community in South Africa and across the continent.
We join the Committee to Protect Journalists in calling on the Djiboutian authorities to urgently clarify Micah and Kooki’s whereabouts and ensure their safety.
We call for their immediate safe return.
xitter.cf/cpjafrica/status/21014…
Michael Marchant retweeted
Why are South African households paying soaring electricity tariffs while major corporations receive massive, secret discounts? @OpenSecretsZA is taking Nersa to the Information Regulator to demand transparency.
@MikeMarchant13 investigates.
fm.co.za/energy-esg/2026-09-…
