The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court has heard that North West businessman Brown Mogotsi was not in his car when it came under fire during what the state has labelled a fake assassination attempt.
This is according to ballistic reports received, which stated that the maroon Chevrolet vehicle allegedly targeted in the attack was stationary at the time it was shot at, and there was no one inside.
Reading the investigating officer’s affidavit in court, the state revealed details of the shooting that do not support the version of events initially presented, emphasizing that the alleged assassination attempt on Mogotsi may have been staged.
The state during the court proceedings reiterated that the firearm used in the incident is also linked to other serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery.
Previous brushes with the law
The investigators also sourced CCTV footage to support the claim, suggesting they may have orchestrated the scene.
The court also heard of Mogotsi’s previous brushes with the law, including a past conviction where he served three years’ imprisonment before he was released on parole in 2015.
However, it was stated that he has not breached his parole conditions since his release.
Mogotsi was arrested two weeks ago, on May 15. He faces five charges, including defeating the ends of justice, perjury, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm in a public area.
Although the cartridges are linked to murder and armed robbery, he has not been linked to the charges.
The case follows earlier reports by Sunday World that Mogotsi did not immediately open a case with the South African Police Service after the alleged shooting.
At the time, he claimed that someone had riddled his vehicle with bullets in Vosloorus, although he was unharmed.
At the time, Mogotsi said he would provide a statement to police the following day.
Defeating the ends of justice
Police have since arrested him for defeating the ends of justice. Authorities said a multidisciplinary team executed a J50 warrant of arrest in connection with the November 2025 incident, when Mogotsi first claimed unknown gunmen had fired multiple rounds at his vehicle.
The alleged assassination came as Mogotsi was implicated in the parliamentary ad hoc committee and the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, popularly known as the Madlanga commission.
The investigations by the committee and the commission are both centred on the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police chief Lt. Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, relating to the alleged unlawful disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
- Ballistic reports reveal that North West businessman Brown Mogotsi was not in his stationary car when it was shot at, suggesting a staged fake assassination attempt.
- The firearm used in the incident is linked to other serious crimes including murder and armed robbery, though Mogotsi has not been charged with those crimes.
- CCTV footage and investigative affidavits support the state's claim that the shooting scene may have been orchestrated.
- Mogotsi, who was arrested on May 15, faces charges including defeating the ends of justice, perjury, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and discharging a firearm in public.
- The incident and charges arise amid Mogotsi’s involvement in investigations by parliamentary and judicial commissions concerning criminality, political interference, and corruption.
However, it was stated that he has not breached his parole conditions since his release.
Mogotsi was arrested two weeks ago, on May 15. He faces five charges, including defeating the ends of justice, perjury, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm in a public area.
At the time, he claimed that someone had riddled his vehicle with bullets in Vosloorus, although he was unharmed.
At the time, Mogotsi said he would provide a statement to police the following day.
Police have since arrested him for defeating the ends of justice.
