By Johnathan Paoli
Brown Mogotsi’s alleged fake assassination case took a turn on Wednesday when the state handed his lawyers video evidence it claimed showed him shooting at his own vehicle before reporting that he had survived an attack.
Mogotsi was appearing briefly in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, where the matter had been expected to proceed towards the setting of a trial date.
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Instead, the court granted the defence additional time to consult with Mogotsi after receiving a compact disc containing the alleged CCTV footage shortly before proceedings began.
Mogotsi’s attorney, William Sekgatja, said the evidence had only been provided moments before the case was called.
“I can confirm that today, maybe just a few minutes before the matter was called, a CD was handed over to us containing what is said to be a video,” Sekgatja said.
“We find ourselves in a position wherein our prison does not, or rather the correctional facilities do not allow us to enter those particular facilities with anything digital, including cell phones or laptops,” he said.
Sekgatja added that this would make it difficult to properly prepare Mogotsi’s defence.
“We find ourselves in a position wherein we’re going to find difficulties in relation to consulting with an accused person in this matter,” he said.
He asked the court whether an order could be made permitting the legal team to use electronic devices during consultations at the correctional facility.
The magistrate said that, rather than issuing such an order, the more practical solution would be for consultation sessions to take place at court using the available equipment.
The matter was postponed to 3 August for consultation in court, and the magistrate ordered that Mogotsi remain in custody.
Mogotsi faces charges of perjury, defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and discharging a firearm in a public place.
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The charges stem from allegations that he staged an assassination attempt on himself in Vosloorus in November 2025.
According to the state, investigators recovered 11 spent cartridge casings at the scene and contend the evidence shows the vehicle was stationary when it was shot, with no occupants inside, undermining Mogotsi’s claim that unknown gunmen ambushed him.
He has remained behind bars since his arrest on 15 May, shortly after appearing before the Madlanga Commission, where he testified amid allegations that he acted as an intermediary between senior law enforcement officials and politically connected individuals.
His second bail application was dismissed last month after the court found that he had failed to present new facts justifying his release.
