One of police minister Senzo Mchunu’s alleged associates, Brown Mogotsi, has been exposed as a violent former criminal with three previous convictions, for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), defeating the ends of justice and reckless and negligent driving.
Correctional services department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Mogotsi had convictions dating back to 2011.
“Brown Mogotsi had three cases with three different registration numbers,” he said.
Nxumalo said Mogotsi had been sentenced to:
- six months for defeating the ends of justice, which expired on September 9 2011;
- six months for assault GBH, expiring on November 26 2011; and
- three to five years for assault GBH, and reckless and negligent driving, expiring on November 30 2016.
However, Nxumalo said the correctional services system had gaps and it did not have every detail about individual inmates and their crimes.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Sunday accused senior law enforcement officials, including Mchunu, of interfering in cases police were investigating, and protecting controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Mkhwanazi alleged Mchunu had ties with people outside the police — including Matlala and Mogotsi — who influenced his decisions.
He claimed Mogotsi had influenced some decisions made by Mchunu, including disbanding the police’s political killings task team in December.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation on the matter on Sunday night.
His spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “President Ramaphosa was attending a Brics summit in Brazil when Mkhwanazi outlined numerous allegations at a media briefing. The president undertook to attend to this development on his return from Brazil in view of the implications for national security. [He] has been seized with this matter in recent days and will after consultations take the nation into his confidence at 7pm on Sunday.”
While the minister knows and has met Brown Mogotsi, he is just a comrade and not an associate of the minister
— Kamogelo Mogotsi, Senzo Mchunu’s spokesperson
National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza on Wednesday asked the portfolio committees on police and justice & constitutional development, and the joint standing committee on intelligence, to investigate the allegations against Mchunu.
However, on Wednesday, Mchunu denied any ties with Matlala, who was awarded a R360m police tender in 2024. He said he had “never spoken to him or requested or received anything from him”.
Mchunu’s spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said: “The minister did, however, initiate a review of the SAPS tender awarded to him when suspicions of possible wrongdoing surfaced. It was the same tender which has since been terminated.”
Mchunu previously denied knowing [Brown] Mogotsi, but later changed his tune. “While the minister knows and has met Brown Mogotsi, he is just a comrade and not an associate of the minister. The minister has never requested or received anything from him,” his spokesperson said.
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