Self-confessed smuggler, fraudster is funding NDZ presidential campaign – report

Cigarette manufacturer Adriano Mazzotti and founder of Carnilinx are understood to have funded the election campaign of Dlamini-Zuma and sponsored caps and t-shirts for the campaign which is at full steam ahead of the ANC elective conference in December.

According to Sunday Times, a book has detailed how Mazzoti who also has ties to EFF leader Julius Malema – is a close friend of Dlamini-Zuma.

The book, The President Keepers, reveals that despite being warned about Mazotti who signed an affidavit in 2014 admitting to money laundering, corruption and tax evasion among other crimes, Dlamini-Zuma dismissed his dealings by saying he was never convicted of any crime.

Sunday Times reports that Mazzotti has photographs of himself and the former AU chair and has been showing these off, including images of election regalia bearing Dlamini-Zuma’s initials, NDZ and ‘Radical Economic Transformation.’

The newspaper reports that Mazzotti admitted to paying R820k to a lawyer to have tax charges dismissed and his shady business dealings include the following:

• He was presented with a tax bill of R600-million in 2014
• Before SARS could retrieve the amount from him, Tom Moyane was appointed SARS commissioner and axed Ivan Pillay and Johann van Loggerenberg, SARS officials who were investigating that case and others related to Zuma and his son, Edward’s tax activities

Mazzotti has denied being associated to Dlamini-Zuma and said he was not sponsoring her campaign. He also refuted the affidavit he signed and said his company was above board. Meanwhile, Dlamini-Zuma’s spokeswoman had not responded to questions sent about her affiliation to Mazzotti.

//

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.