Political fixer Oupa Brown Mogotsi appeared briefly in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 18 May 2026, in connection with allegations that he orchestrated an attempt on his own life.
The case stems from a shooting incident in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, on 3 November 2025, when Mogotsi’s Chevrolet was struck by several bullets.
Two of the shots hit the driver’s seat, raising initial concerns about an attempted assassination.
Mogotsi was arrested on Friday, 15 May, shortly after giving testimony at the Madlanga commission in Pretoria.
Brown Mogotsi bail delayed
Proceedings on Monday focused largely on procedural disagreements between the defence and the state, particularly over how long the matter should be postponed.
Mogotsi’s legal representative, Makau William Sekgatja, told the court that his client’s residential address in Mmabatho, North West, had already been submitted.
He pushed back against a proposed seven-day delay to verify the address.
“We request a postponement to Thursday for address verification.
“The state has not indicated its position in relation to bail, and to postpone for seven days merely for address verification, only for the state to request a further postponement for a bail application on that particular date, would be unreasonable,” Sekgatja said.
The prosecutor, however, argued that verification would require coordination across provincial lines.
“For the police officers to move from one province to another province, there are certain logistics,” he told the court.
The state maintained that it could not yet determine whether it would oppose bail.
“It will depend on the address.”
The magistrate postponed the matter to 25 May 2026, when Mogotsi is expected to formally apply for bail.
Police warn against false cases
Outside the court, national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe warned of the broader consequences of falsely reporting crimes and providing misleading information to the police.
“Such cases delay justice for real victims of crime. It’s a waste of resources to investigate a false case,” she told reporters.
Mathe detailed what she described as repeated difficulties investigators faced while attempting to obtain Mogotsi’s cooperation after the initial case was opened at the Vosloorus police station.
“When our teams went to the addresses that Mr Brown Mogotsi had provided, they couldn’t find him.
“Every time they went to his business premises in Mahikeng, he was a no-show, and the police really went to great lengths to investigate this particular case, even to try and obtain his statement.
“It took us a lot of resources and capacity because he was not cooperating with the police.”
She added that inconsistencies between Mogotsi’s affidavit and other evidence ultimately led prosecutors to proceed with charges.
“We then finalised the investigation and handed over the docket to the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions] for a decision.
“Indeed, the DPP then agreed with the police that Mr Brown has a case to answer to.”
Mogotsi had informed police that he had been travelling alone in Vosloorus when he was allegedly followed by individuals in a bakkie, who opened fire on his vehicle.
He claimed the incident forced him to abandon the car and escape on foot.
Charges and links to other crimes
The controversial figure has been charged with five offences, including defeating the ends of justice, perjury for giving a false statement under oath, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm in a built-up area.
According to police, forensic analysis has linked the firearm allegedly used in the incident to earlier violent crimes in Gauteng.
Mathe said the weapon is linked to a 2020 armed robbery in Roodepoort, where a motorist was targeted, and a 2021 shooting in Eldorado Park that left one man dead and another wounded.
Despite this, the firearm has not yet been recovered.
“We are still searching for it. We cannot rule out the possibility that he was not working alone, so we are continuing our investigation.
“This is an opportunity for Mr Brown Mogotsi to cooperate with the police and tell us the truth about what happened on that particular day and what was the motive for him actually staging an alleged assassination on his own life.”
Investigators are also exploring whether others may have been involved.
“It could be a firearm that is just being passed around and being used in crimes and so on.
“He must tell us who gave him that particular firearm, who does that firearm belong to, so that we can solve other cases.”
Mathe also clarified that at this stage, the police have not connected Mogotsi to the murder, attempted murders, or the robbery.
She further confirmed that Mogotsi’s Chevrolet remains in police custody.
Defence maintains client’s innocence
Sekgatja told the media that the immediate priority for the defence is securing Mogotsi’s release on bail, before challenging the legality of his arrest.
He acknowledged the seriousness of the charges, highlighting that Mogotsi could face up to 15 years in prison.
The lawyer emphasised that his client was taken aback by the manner of his arrest on Friday.
“He was clearly shocked when we went to see him in custody. He didn’t understand why he was actually arrested in that particular manner.”
Sekgatja further indicated that Mogotsi has raised concerns about conditions in custody and was hoping to be transferred to the Johannesburg Correctional Centre.
“He was complaining about the food at this particular police station. He hardly ate between Friday and now.”
Concerns over safety
The defence suggested that Mogotsi may pursue further legal steps, insisting he denies all allegations.
“He knows that he did not commit this particular offence that he has been charged with and that the state is simply creating these particular charges against him.”
Sekgatja added that his client fears for his safety, citing past incidents involving law enforcement and the shooting itself.
“Those particular incidents, viewed together, actually created in him some sort of paranoia.”
He also denied that his client owns a gun or a licence to possess one.
“There is no firearm that was found in his possession. So he knows nothing about a firearm.”
