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?”
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.