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.
Investigative journalist Jacques Pauw tweeted a bird’s-eye view of what is reportedly Julius Malema’s Johannesburg residence from Google Earth, as confirmation of a story on EWN, which reported that the EFF leader’s immediate family is living in a house owned by alleged cigarette smuggler Adriano Mazzotti.
“It’s true,” said Pauw, before tweeting the residence’s address.
UPDATE: Pauw has since deleted the tweet including Malema’s address at the request of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef). More on that here.
According to The President’s Keepers author: “EWN should also ask where Mantwa Malema’s white Porsche Cayenne comes from.”
READ MORE: Jacques Pauw writes explosive reply to Malema after lawsuit threat
EWN reported that Malema’s wife and children live in a house owned by Mazzotti, who told the publication he would not hide his friendship with the EFF leader and that Mantwa Malema was paying market-related rent to live on the property.
Malema, meanwhile, did not answer questions, only saying he was currently living in a house provided by the state in Cape Town.
Pauw and the politician have been in conflict over the journalist’s tweets about the EFF’s alleged illicit cigarette funding.
Malema wrote Pauw a letter in July demanding that he withdraw a social media statement that Mazzotti had paid the EFF leader’s R18 million tax bill.
READ MORE: Father-and-son picture of Malema with ‘fraudster’ Mazzotti leaves Ndlozi fuming
The author responded by releasing a slew of further allegations regarding the politician’s alleged links to the tobacco-smuggling underworld.
Then, last week, Pauw tweeted a seemingly recent picture of Mazotti with Malema and his son, which angered EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who responded by calling the journalist 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 [is] (again) going to need some of his profits. An expensive friendship, isn’t it Adriano?”
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