Father-and-son picture of Malema with ‘fraudster’ Mazzotti leaves Ndlozi fuming

A photograph of a smiling EFF leader Julius Malema with self-confessed cigarette smuggler and fraudster Adriano Mazzotti published on Monday night soon had EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi describing the poster, journalist Jacques Pauw, as a “sick old white man”.

Pauw, who has – like other investigative journalists – been a thorn in Malema and the EFF’s side this year, captioned the photo: “I hope self-confessed fraudster and smuggler Adriano Mazzotti and his cronies at Carnilinx have lately sold lots of cigarettes because I have a sneaky suspicion that his bud Malema are (again) going to need some of his profits. An expensive friendship, isn’t it Adriano?”

I hope self-confessed fraudster and smuggler Adriano Mazzotti and his cronies at Carnilinx have lately sold lots of cigarettes because I have a sneaky suspicion that his bud Malema are (again) going to need some of his profits. An expensive friendship, isn't it Adriano? pic.twitter.com/rJFt83cLDM

— Jacques Pauw (@Jaqqs) November 26, 2018

Mazzotti can be seen smiling at Malema’s toddler son in what can only be a very recent picture, which appears to provide evidence that the long-running relationship between Mazzotti and Malema is still going strong. There are a number of other photos of Malema smiling with Mazzotti.

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Earlier this year, Malema said in an interview that a loan and a donation given to him by two co-owners of the controversial tobacco company CarniLinx are no secret.

In an affidavit the company’s co-owner Mazzotti signed in May 2014, he admits to, along with his company, being complicit in a host of crimes, including fraud, money laundering, corruption, tax evasion and bribery.

A feud between Malema and The President’s Keepers author Jacques Pauw escalated earlier this year, with Malema calling on Pauw to delete accusations made on Twitter that Malema had received a loan from Mazzotti to settle his tax bill. He insisted that the loan had come from Mazzotti’s company, and was therefore directly linked to him.

In the same tweet, Pauw alleged the then suspended and now fired SA Revenue Service (Sars) boss Tom Moyane had made Mazzotti’s R600-million tax bill disappear, which he linked to several reasons why the EFF was acting so protectively over Moyane.

Malema admitted to the SABC in July 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. This cannot be confirmed due to taxpayer confidentiality.

READ MORE: Jacques Pauw writes explosive reply to Malema after lawsuit threat

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 their detractors’ disappointment that the EFF had managed to register and become an official political party thanks to this donation.

The EFF leader added it was not the party’s job to declare money as the proceeds of crime, which Pauw insists it was.

“This Mazotti money has not been taken to court and found to be proceeds of crime.”

Pauw’s recent jab at Malema has come in the wake of further investigative journalism revelations that he and EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu allegedly received disguised payments through the VBS bank looting scam, which investigative reporter Pauli van Wyk has described as the further proceeds of crime. She also accused them of fully knowing that what they were doing was criminal.

Malema called Van Wyk “satan” and “sick” last week. Mirroring his leader’s style, Ndlozi also used the word “sick” to describe Pauw, adding a reference to his age and race.

You are a sick old white man https://t.co/mkGl903T2O

— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) November 26, 2018

READ MORE: How Malema, Shivambu ‘knowingly’ benefited from VBS ‘proceeds of crime’ – report

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