African National Congress (ANC) presidential hopeful Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has broken her silence about the alleged dodgy sources of her campaign funding. Dlamini-Zuma took to Twitter on Thursday evening to deny allegations against her published in the Sunday Times and Jacques Pauw’s book, The President’s Keepers. The Daily Vox teams rounds up.
NDZ tweeted saying that people may accuse her of many things but not corruption. She also added that she has never been corrupt and never will be.
People can accuse me of many things but not corruption. I’m not corrupt and I don’t loot. Never have, never will be.
— Dr Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma) November 9, 2017
In addition, she denied allegations that she has ever accepted money from cigarette smugglers, in response to the allegations of funding from controversial cigarette smuggler, Adriano Mazzotti.
Have you accepted money from cigarette smugglers?
— Ben Pooler (@benpooler) November 9, 2017
No.
— Dr Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma) November 9, 2017
Dlamini-Zuma also denied any friendship with Mazzotti.
No sir.
— Dr Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma) November 10, 2017
The Sunday Times first reported on these allegations last week, saying that they had proof that controversial cigarette manufacturer Mazzotti was a contributor to Dlamini-Zuma’s presidential campaign. These allegations appeared to be further proof of claims that Pauw made in his book.
Pauw alleged that Mazzotti contributed to NDZ’s campaign in the form of branded clothing like caps and t-shirts.
Pauw made links in his book between Dlamini-Zuma and Mazzotti, who had confessed in a 2014 affidavit that his company, Carnillinx, had participated in unlawful business transactions.
Mazzotti has denied the funding allegations, saying he had only met the ANC presidential hopeful once. However, there seemed to be Instagram evidence that Mazzotti and Dlamini-Zuma had met on more than one occasion including in Greece and the United Kingdom.
The Sunday Times also reported that Dlamini-Zuma was having the secret meetings with Mazzotti and his associates, the Anastasopoulos brothers, Philip and Photios, without the knowledge of her campaign team: “because she knows they won’t be comfortable working with these controversial figures.â€
Earlier, this month, NDZ denied any knowledge of Mazzotti and his associates contributing to her campaign. She only admitted to meeting Mazzotti once on a trip to London.
Speaking to News24, Dlamini-Zuma’s spokesperson said, “She has never approached him [Mazzotti] for any assistance, nor has he approached her and offered assistance with her campaign.”
