By Johnathan Paol
North West businessman and alleged political fixer Oupa “Brown” Mogotsi survived an alleged shooting in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, on Monday night.
Police in Vosloorus have confirmed that a bullet-riddled vehicle believed to have been used by Mogotsi was recovered at the scene.
While details remain sketchy, early information suggests that unknown gunmen opened fire on the vehicle in Vosloorus Extension 25 before fleeing.
Unconfirmed reports circulating on social media claim that the car was struck by more than eight bullets.
In a brief message to the media on Tuesday morning, South African Police Service (SAPS) national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said she was heading to Vosloorus police station to verify the reports.
“Morning colleagues I’m heading to Vosloorus SAPS to ascertain reports about brown Mogotsi,” Mathe said.
Police have not yet confirmed whether Mogotsi was indeed the intended target or if there were any injuries, fatalities, or arrests linked to the shooting.
Madlanga Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels has confirmed that Mogotsi was indeed shot, but has not been harmed.
Michaels stressed that the commission takes the safety of witnesses testifying very seriously.
“From the commission side, we have been working with the relevant law enforcement agencies to make sure that witnesses are indeed protected. Obviously, that is a matter that I can’t divulge too much detail about, given the fact that we are talking about witness safety and protection. Except to say that the commission is doing absolutely everything in its power to ensure that witnesses are indeed protected and are safe,” he said.
He confirmed that discussions with Mogotsi regarding his protection as a commission witness are ongoing. “We have been in touch with him as recently as yesterday,” Michaels said during an early morning interview on SABC on Tuesday.
Mogotsi, a businessman from the North West province, has been a recurring figure in recent high-profile corruption inquiries.
His name has repeatedly surfaced before the commission as well as in Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing claims made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
In October, police raided Mogotsi’s business premises in Seweding village near Mahikeng as part of an ongoing corruption probe.
Mogotsi has denied wrongdoing, saying he is being subjected to targeted harassment by state officials and has previously expressed fears for his safety.
This is a developing story.
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