Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma met self-confessed tobacco smuggler Adriano Mazzotti and his business associates more than the one time he claims he met her‚ the Sunday Times reports‚ adding it has the proof.

Instagram photographs prove at least two meetings‚ it says‚ while a third shows an associate of the dodgy tycoon embracing Dlamini-Zuma‚ apparently taken in Greece. The others show Mazzotti and Dlamini-Zuma in London and in Sandton.

Under one of the photographs‚ gambling tycoon Philip Anastassopoulos exclaims: “Another nice day with mama Zuma.”

Last week Mazzotti claimed he had only met the presidential hopeful once.

But the Sunday Times says the photographs and the new information suggest a much closer relationship between Dlamini-Zuma and Mazzotti.