Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) have visited the business premises of controversial North West businessman and police minister Senzo Mchunu’s comrade Brown Mogotsi.
This was revealed by National Police Spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe on Thursday night.
“The SAPS confirms that there is police presence at the business premises of Mr Brown Mogotsi in Seweding Village in Mahikeng. This visit is part of an ongoing investigation that has already been discussed before the Ad Hoc committee [in parliament] and the Madlanga Commission,” said Mathe.
Summoned to the commission
On October 7, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system (Madlanga Commission), sent Mogotsi a letter requesting him to respond to allegations made against him at the commission within five days of receiving the letter.
Last week, police conducted a search and seizure operation at the Centurion, Pretoria house of suspended deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya. And the Johannesburg home of Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde.
Mchunu is currently on special leave.
Mogotsi’s name was initially thrust into the limelight on July 6 during a bombshell press conference by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. He said alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was awarded an SAPS tender worth more than R360-million in 2024.
Mkhwanazi said on May 13 2025, National Police bossGen Fannie Masemola cancelled the tender. This happened a day before Matlala’s arrest for his alleged role in the attempted murder of his ex-lover Tebogo Thobejane.
Incriminating conversations
Mkhwanazi said he is in possession of WhatsApp communication between Matlala and Mogotsi. They are allegedly discussing how Mogotsi is working to get Mchunu and Sibiya to interfere and suppress the police investigations into Matlala.
He said he has proof of payment showing that Matlala funded the ANC political activities and events of Mchunu and Mogotsi.
Mkhwanazi said he believes that Mchunu and Sibiya took a decision to disband the KZN SAPS political killings task team because it raided Matlala’s home in December 2024. And because it was making inroads in certain Gauteng cases.
During his testimony at the commission in September, national head of crime intelligence Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo showed the commission WhatsApp exchanges between Mogotsi and Matlala.
It showed that Matlala paid for the flights and accommodation of eight ANC members linked to Mogotsi. This was for the ANC’s January 8 Statement presidential gala dinner in Cape Town on January 10 this year.
Political Killings Task Team
Khumalo said he believes an organised criminal cartel had influence on the ministry of police. It also had a hand in a decision to disband the KZN SAPS political killings task team, he said.
The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa on July 13 after Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing on July 6. He said politicians in parliament, police officers, metro police officers, correctional service officials, prosecutors and members of the judiciary in Gauteng are part of a criminal syndicate in Gauteng, and they are controlled by drug cartels and business people in Gauteng.
Parliament’s Ad Hoc committee investigating Mkhwanazi’s allegations was established on July 23.
