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Malema proudly owns his friendship with Adriano Mazzotti
The EFF leader has thrown down a challenge to anyone using his relationship with the 'cigarette smuggler' to criticise him.
Picture for illustrative purposes. Julius Malema with self-confessed tobacco smuggler Adriano Mazzotti (on the left). In the middle is American DJ “Little Louis” Vega.
In a Twitter post on Sunday afternoon, EFF leader Julius Malema made it clear that reports about his friendship with self-confessed cigarette smuggler Adriano Mazzotti not only don’t phase him, he is actually more than happy to include Mazzotti’s name in the same breath as the names of his children, siblings, grandmother, mother and wife.
He even pinned the tweet to his timeline, sarcastically describing himself as: “Tshepo, Tsubi and Ronny’s brother. Rati, Zhedzi and Pano’s father and Mantoa’s husband. The grandson of Koko Sarah and the only child of Mahlodi Malema. And indeed Adriano Mazzotti’s Friend.”
Pics by @johnoseamedia
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) October 6, 2019
Earlier this year it was reported that the SA Revenue Service (Sars) was trying to reclaim millions in debt allegedly owed to them by Mazzotti, the co-owner of controversial tobacco company CarniLinx.
According to investigative reporter Pauli van Wyk, Sars obtained warrants to attach and remove Mazzotti’s moveable property, which included luxury cars and expensive art.
His tax debt allegedly stood at more than R70 million rand at the time.
Mazzotti’s high-security home in Hyde Park as well as a warehouse in Kya Sands were reportedly raided.
Mazzotti came to attention for having donated money to the EFF to register with the Independent Electoral Commission to contest the elections in 2014.
The controversial businessman is often described as a “self-confessed cigarette smuggler” in the media after he admitted to being complicit in a host of crimes, including fraud, money laundering, corruption, tax evasion and bribery in an affidavit signed in May 2014.
In an interview with the SABC’s On Point last year, Malema said a loan and donation given to him by the two co-owners of CarniLinx had never been a secret.
Malema admitted in July 2018 that he received a loan from Kyle Philips, the co-owner of CarniLinx. The loan was reportedly worth R1 million, and Malema claimed he declared the loan to Sars.
Malema also admitted Mazotti donated at least R200,000 to the EFF directly. He said the focus on this by the media and the public had nothing to do with Mazotti, and was instead caused by the party’s detractors’ disappointment that the EFF had managed to register and become an official political party thanks to this donation.
Investigative journalist Jacques Pauw’s 2017 book, The President’s Keepers, detailed allegations that Mazzotti was also one of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s funders.
Mazzotti denied the claim.
Malema and Pauw have regularly crossed swords over Malema’s Mazzotti connection.
The EFF leader earlier this year took exception to a tweet Pauw posted that claimed Malema and his family were not only Mazzotti’s neighbours but he was their Hyde Park landlord.
Pauw controversially shared the address of the property Malema’s wife and children were believed to live in, and was reportedly owned by Mazzotti, bordering his own luxury compound in the upmarket suburb.
Pauw deleted the tweet after the SA National Editors’ Forum appealed to him to do so, but he defended his decision to share a photo of Malema with his infant son sitting next to Mazzotti, a move that enraged EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi as well as many of the party’s supporters.
The author argued the image had already been freely uploaded by Malema to social media and was in the public domain.
The reactions to Malema’s tweet were predictably diverse, with several people criticising the boastful tweet, with others admiring the EFF leader for sticking it to his enemies.
Malema even described this article as stupid shortly after it was published.
There’s no cure for stupidity
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) October 6, 2019
I guess you trying to lay foundations about upcoming revelations of your involvement with cigarrette smuggler Adrian Mazzotti in sars Rogue unit saga,we are not fools.
— Tobesky (@Tobesky15) October 6, 2019
*Looter of Limpopo province tenders, a beneficiary of other peoples VBS pensions. Tax delinquent. Flip flopper of note.
— Abigail 🇿🇦 (@GlassPearl) October 6, 2019
Pride comes before a fall
— Sean Farrell (@seanbfarrell) October 6, 2019
Now lives in a mansion and flies with private planes. While the toying toying masses still suffering
— DambudzoNyoka (@DambudzoNyoka) October 6, 2019
Breaking news Malema admit being friends with Mazzotti 😂😂😂😂😂
— Stash M (@MawilaStash) October 6, 2019
CIC is giving lazy journalists tomorrow news headlines 🤣🤣🤣🤣you will see front page of your lazy journalists
— Ephraim_Tau ye Tona (@Mosetlakgolo_za) October 6, 2019
But Mazotti is a criminal Julius, are you even hearing urself or time has just come to expose things of the dark?
— The Black Horse Rider💕💐😘 (@Pfadzi) October 6, 2019
Son of the soil, liberator of the oppressed, fearless and committed to black independence and their economic emancipation
— Onkgopotse Moahloli (@coupe0429) October 6, 2019
You kill me these days by always tagging Stratcom and giving them a story line so they stop digging in dustbins. pic.twitter.com/mFgc4E29xn
— ♥️ke Rakgadi ♥️ (@nthabs5) October 6, 2019
Mazzotti is a common criminal and a thug, no wonder Kenny Kunene referred to Julius Malema as a thug, he's not just a thug but associate of white monopoly capital pic.twitter.com/ahtMpg802T
— Minister of Food Parcels (@MashukucaX) October 6, 2019
— Moraka 2nd wa Phooko (@phokxmann72) October 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/RockOfA12574196/status/1180878451886186500?s=20
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