Latest news with #BrownMogotsi
The South African
5 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
'Timing is inappropriate': Mogotsi on Mkhwanazi's claims
Businessman Brown Mogotsi rejected explosive claims by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, calling the allegations poorly timed and baseless. Speaking exclusively to SABC News , Mogotsi, whom Police Minister Senzo Mchunu described as a 'comrade', dismissed any wrongdoing. Mogotsi criticised Mkhwanazi's press briefing and said, 'The timing is very inappropriate.' He said, 'I sent him a message last year, but only after the arrest of five generals and some brigadiers did he call a press conference.' Mogotsi said he was not a police officer and added cryptically, 'With my underground experience or underground operations. I'll be able to share on the right platform who Brown Mogotsi is.' Mkhwanazi had named Mogotsi as being central to alleged political interference and the controversial disbandment of the KZN Political Killings Task Team. The police commissioner also accused Minister Mchunu of unauthorised interference and maintaining links with criminal syndicates. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
He called me before he made explosive allegations: Brown Mogotsi hits back at Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi
North West businessman Brown Mogotsi has condemned the timing of the accusations from KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Image: Screenshot/SABC News North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, a 'comrade' of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, has broken his silence and denied explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, saying the 'timing is very inappropriate'. Mogotsi is at the center of Mkhwanazi's claims that senior political figures and top police officials were involved in the controversial disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team in KZN. He criticised the timing of Mkhwanazi's recent media briefing. 'The timing is very inappropriate,' Mogotsi said in an exclusive interview with SABC News. 'He said I sent him a message last year, but only after the arrest of five generals and some brigadiers did he call a press conference.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Mogotsi confirmed that he was not a police officer. 'No, I'm not a police officer. I've been around, my sister. With my underground experience or underground operations, I'll be able to share on the right platform who Brown Mogotsi really is.' Mogotsi, now under intense scrutiny over alleged political interference and ties to organized crime, was named by Mkhwanazi in a bombshell briefing in Durban. Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of unauthorised interference in police operations and maintaining contact with criminal syndicates. He also alleged that Mchunu ordered the disbandment of the task team in March 2025 and the withdrawal of 121 active dockets, many tied to political assassinations. 'These dockets have been sitting idle at head office ever since,' he said. He presented internal SAPS communications, WhatsApp messages, and forensic cellphone data as evidence of what he described as a coordinated effort to shut down the unit. Mkhwanazi also claimed Mogotsi had direct contact with individuals under investigation, including Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, a businessman awarded a R360 million police contract in 2024. According to Mkhwanazi, Mogotsi assured Matlala via WhatsApp that the unit had been dissolved and that Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, SAPS deputy national commissioner for crime detection, had taken control of the case files. Evidence allegedly also linked Mogotsi, Mchunu, and Matlala through financial transactions tied to political events and a gala dinner. 'The disbandment of the task team was not a mistake. It was a deliberate attempt to shield an organized criminal syndicate with deep roots in our law enforcement, political, and judicial systems,' Mkhwanazi said. Since its establishment in July 2018, the Political Killings Task Team investigated 612 dockets, secured over 100 convictions, and helped crack syndicate-linked murders in Gauteng and at the University of Fort Hare. Mkhwanazi said pressure to disband the unit grew after its ballistic experts linked weapons found in Gauteng to several high-profile killings, including cases involving South African musicians. Shortly after, Mchunu allegedly ordered the unit disbanded and froze intelligence appointments. In a December 2024 letter to National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, Mchunu stated the unit, created following the Moerane Commission report, had outlived its usefulness. However, Masemola later denied authorising the unit's closure. In March, Mchunu told Parliament he did not know Mogotsi. But on July 9, he acknowledged their relationship. 'He is just a comrade, not an associate. I've never requested or received anything from him,' Mchunu said in a statement. Meanwhile, Mogotsi denied receiving police information from Mchunu and insisted the data he referenced came from elsewhere. 'This environment - information comes to you,' he said. 'The proper platform will give me an opportunity to say where this and this come from.' Mogotsi also criticised the SAPS chain of command and raised concerns about one senior officer, Major General Philani Lushaba, claiming he opened a false housebreaking case after a woman he brought home from a nightclub allegedly disappeared with a state laptop and phone. 'I'm not questioning his age or position, but there are people with similar qualifications who have served 30 years and remain captains or warrant officers,' Mogotsi said. Last month, IOL News reported that SAPS Crime Intelligence Chief Operations Officer (CFO) Lushaba allegedly vanished as the NPA's Investigating Directorate prepared to question him over financial misconduct. The investigation centers on two property deals worth over R45 million - a R22.7 million boutique hotel in Pretoria North and a R22.8 million commercial property in Berea, Durban. Mogotsi reiterated that the allegations raised by Mkhwanazi were poorly timed. 'You'll be surprised… Just before his press conference, he called me. He spoke about the need to save the country and said any officer could now use a J-50 warrant to arrest another,' he said. 'So I was very surprised on Sunday to hear him bringing this thing again.' Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to address the nation at 7pm on Sunday. Opposition parties have called for Mchunu's dismissal, with the Democratic Alliance urging Ramaphosa to act as he did with expelling its deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Andrew Whitfield for an unauthorised trip. IOL Politics
The South African
7 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
Mkhwanazi's home on guard following death threats
Security has been beefed up outside KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's home following death threats he received after making explosive allegations against Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu. National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola confirmed that KZN's top cop has been receiving death threats. Masemola said, 'We have beefed up his security, but there will be no persecution of any SAPS member.' Mkhwananzi held an intensive media briefing on Sunday, 6 July 2025, where he allegedly accused Mchunu of disbanding the Political Killings Task Team. Earlier this year, the Deputy National Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, withdrew all 121 case dockets from the Task Team to his office following orders made by Mchunu. Businessman and entrepreneur, Vusumuzi 'Cat' Matlala and Brown Mogotsi's names were also called out by Mkhwanazi. Both, together with Mchunu, are allegedly linked to a criminal syndicate controlled by a drug cartel that reportedly involves politicians, police officers, prosecutors, judicial figures and prominent businesspeople. Matlala's company, Medicare24 Tshwane District, received a R360 million tender from the South African Police Service (SAPS) health services. Mchunu denied knowing Matlala and said that he had never interacted with him. However, Mchunu's spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, mentioned that the minister initiated a review of the SAPS tender awarded to him following suspicions. Mkhwanazi also alleged that Mchunu had ties with Brown Mogotsi, a businessman from North West, who regularly influenced his decisions. Initially, Mchunu denied knowing Mogotsi in parliament but later changed his statement and said that he only knows him as just 'a comrade'. 'Whilst the minister knows and has met Mr. Brown Mogotsi, he is just a comrade and not an associate of the minister,' said Mogotsi, the minister's spokesperson. President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured that he will deal with those proven to have done wrong following allegations made by Commissioner Mkhwanazi. Speaking at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the president said that this was a matter that needed urgent attention. 'Obviously, it is a matter that I will be dealing with when I get home. I will need to look at it more closely and have a thorough, going discussion with a number of people, and thereafter, there will be a clear way forward. This is not a matter that we should not give attention to.' 'The police play a critical role at enhancing our law, the safety of South Africans, and that those who have done wrong should be dealt with thoroughly in terms of our constitution and our laws,' Ramaphosa said. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
News24
09-07-2025
- General
- News24
Who is Brown Mogotsi? Five things you need to know about Mchunu's alleged associate
Brown Mogotsi speaking to the SABC as the founder of the Brown Mogotsi Foundation. SABC Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Mail & Guardian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Mchunu denies ties to Matlala amid police tender scandal
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. (@Senzo_Mchunu/X) Police Minister This comes after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Matlala, who was arrested in May on attempted murder charges, had been awarded a police tender in 2024 to provide trauma and medical services. Mkhwanazi alleged that phone evidence linked Matlala to payoffs involving politically connected people, including Mchunu's acquaintance, Brown Mogotsi, a business person based in North West. A statement on Wednesday morning said Mchunu had never spoken to Matlala. 'The minister has never met Mr Matlala, has never spoken to him; nor has the minister ever requested or received anything from him. 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 that has since been terminated,' read the statement issued by Mchunu's spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi. He said the minister acknowledged knowing Brown Mogotsi but said he was not a close associate. Mchunu confirmed he had initiated a review of the police tender awarded to Matlala when suspicions of irregularities arose. The contract was later terminated in May by national police commissioner Fannie Masemola. During Sunday's media briefing, Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu ordered the disbandment of the province's political killings task team in December after its members assisted Gauteng police with a high-profile murder case. The task team had reportedly provided support in the investigation into the killing of Q-Tech employee Armand Swart, who was mistakenly targeted in place of a whistleblower linked to alleged corruption in a Transnet tender process. Investigative work by the joint police teams led to the arrest of Katiso Molefe. Forensic analysis of the firearm used in Swart's murder later tied the weapon to a string of unresolved killings in the entertainment industry, dating back to 2021. Mkhwanazi said that in the months that followed — January, February and April — deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya issued written instructions to the disbanded team to submit all active case dockets to his office. More than 120 dockets were handed over in March, but have reportedly remained untouched. In support of his claims, Mkhwanazi presented WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between Matlala and Mogotsi. In one message, Mogotsi allegedly tells Matlala: 'I have arranged a meeting for Sibiya and the minister, they must have a solution.' Another message reads: 'The task team that came to your house and harassed you has been dissolved; they got the letter on Monday. As we speak, they are bringing all the dockets to Sibiya.' Although Mchunu acknowledged knowing Mogotsi, he dismissed suggestions of any impropriety in their relationship. 'Furthermore, 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,' Mchunu's spokesperson said. Mkhwanazi's revelations sparked uproar on Sunday with political parties, including the Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, calling for urgent parliamentary inquiries and the immediate suspension of the minister. On Tuesday, the African Transformation Movement approached the public protector to have the matter investigated, warning that it raises serious concerns about political interference in the criminal justice system. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was abroad when the accusations surfaced, returned to the country on Tuesday. In a statement on Sunday, his office said Ramaphosa had noted Mkhwanazi's allegations and quoted the president as saying: 'This is a matter of grave national security concern that is receiving the highest priority attention. It is vital that the integrity of the country's security services is safeguarded and that the rule of law is affirmed. 'All parties to this matter are called upon to exercise discipline and restraint. The trading of accusations and counter-accusations threatens to undermine public confidence and sow confusion. Furthermore, these actions damage the unity and focus of the police.'
