Police have launched a full investigation into an apparent hit on Brown Mogotsi, the businessman at the centre of the Madlanga Commission and a key witness in Parliament’s ongoing police corruption probe.
Mogotsi was attacked late on Monday night while travelling through Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.
According to News24, gunmen travelling in a bakkie allegedly opened fire on Mogotsi’s vehicle around 22:00 SAST before speeding away. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the incident during a media briefing, saying officers were called to the scene by a nearby security guard who reported hearing gunfire.
“When police arrived, they found Mr Mogotsi at the scene. He alleged that men in another vehicle opened fire on his car while he was driving,” Mathe said.
“We have gathered all material evidence that was at the scene, which will help determine what transpired”.
The businessman was not injured, though police confirmed that his vehicle was hit by multiple bullets.
No arrests have been made, and Mogotsi has not yet filed an official complaint. Investigators are treating the incident as an attempted murder.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Mogotsi’s car was struck by at least eight rounds, shattering the driver-side windows. Eyewitnesses in Vosloorus Extension 25 said they saw a dark bakkie speeding away seconds after the shots were fired.
Police have since cordoned off the area and are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby properties.
Brown Mogotsi, a businessman from the North West province, has been one of the most controversial figures linked to both the Madlanga Commission and the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee investigating political interference in policing.
His name surfaced repeatedly in testimony from law enforcement officials who claimed he acted as a middleman between senior police officers and criminal syndicates.
In October, police raided his business premises in Seweding village, near Mahikeng, as part of a corruption investigation. At the time, Mogotsi accused authorities of “targeted harassment” and said he feared for his life.
“I have done nothing wrong. I am being attacked because I know too much,” he told local reporters.
Just last week, Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee formally summoned Mogotsi to appear as a witness in its corruption hearings.
Evidence leader Advocate Norman Arendse described him as “an important witness” whose testimony could shed light on alleged interference within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its links to organised crime.
Committee member Leigh-Ann Mathys also confirmed that the inquiry plans to question forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan in relation to Mogotsi’s claims.
“Mr Mogotsi and others mentioned before the commission are central to understanding how deep this interference goes,” Mathys said.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that the attempted shooting may be connected to Mogotsi’s role in the Madlanga Commission, where several witnesses have named him as an intermediary in payments allegedly made by crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
As of Tuesday morning, Brigadier Mathe said investigators were “following up on several leads” and had deployed additional officers to ensure Mogotsi’s safety.
“We are taking this matter seriously, given its potential link to ongoing high-profile investigations,” she said.
Mogotsi is expected to appear before Parliament soon to answer questions about his alleged involvement in the network of political and police corruption under scrutiny.
