Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu has told the parliamentary joint committee on ethics and members’ interests that there is nothing untoward about his relationship with controversial hustler Brown Mogotsi.
This is contained in Mchunu’s affidavit to the committee, firmly denying allegations that he misled parliament regarding his relationship with Mogotsi.
“I did not lie to and/or mislead parliament… I further submit that I did not violate nor breach the code of conduct,” he states in the affidavit, which we have seen.
The affidavit is in response to a complaint lodged by DA MP Lisa-Maré Schickerling, who accused the minister of violating sections of the code of ethical conduct by allegedly contradicting himself in public statements about his knowledge of Mogotsi, who has been linked to allegations of interference in police operations.
In his 6-page affidavit, Mchunu insists that there has been a “mischaracterisation” of his remarks, arguing that his statements have been consistent across all platforms.
“In all the above-mentioned incidents… there is consistency in my differentiation between ‘a close associate’ on the one hand and knowing a person on the other,” Mchunu writes.
At the heart of the complaint is a parliamentary committee meeting held on March 5, where Mchunu allegedly denied association with Mogotsi, according to KZN police chief Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Schickerling insists that Mchunu’s versions of his links to Mogotsi are contradictory, hence the complaint to the committee.
This was followed by similar allegations from the MK Party and the EFF, who lodged criminal complaints.
“I am no associate of the person that Gen Mkhwanazi is referring to,” Mchunu said in his recorded comments to the committee, referring to remarks made by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner.
“Had there been a direct question from any member asking me whether I knew Mr Brown Mogotsi, I would have answered in the affirmative.”
Mchunu confirmed he has known Mogotsi since 2017, and described him as “a comrade” within the ANC, not a business or personal associate.
The affidavit also addresses a widely circulated TikTok video featuring a secretly recorded phone call between Mchunu and an unidentified caller. In the recording, the minister appears to admit knowing Mogotsi but stresses, in isiZulu, that they are not close: “Angibhemi naye ugwayi”, loosely translated as “I do not smoke tobacco with him.”
Mchunu explained that the call was recorded without his knowledge, and that his comments were consistent with his previous statements.
The complaint comes amid broader political pressure on Mchunu, following explosive claims by Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi of an “orchestrated demise” of the political killings task team, for his alleged ties to Mogotsi and others.
President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on special leave in mid-July, pending investigations. The ethics committee is expected to review the
affidavit alongside supporting evidence, including video recordings, transcripts and the viral TikTok audio.
