MAHIKENG – Police conducted a raid on Thursday at the premises of businessman Brown Mogotsi in Seweding village, Mahikeng, North West province. The raid is part of an ongoing investigation that has been previously discussed before both the Ad hoc committee and the Madlanga Commission, according to National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe.
Mogotsi, an alleged associate of embattled Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, has been at the centre of allegations involving unlawful interference within the South African Police Service (SAPS). He is widely accused of siphoning money from businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to bankroll activities for the African National Congress (ANC).
Mogotsi's name has featured prominently during early testimony at the Madlanga Commission, with multiple witnesses pointing to his close proximity to high-ranking SAPS officials. He has been described as an information peddler and implicated in corrupting the integrity of law enforcement. WhatsApp messages presented at the commission allegedly showed how Mogotsi used his ties to the ANC to obtain money from criminals for his own benefit, with some of these funds purportedly used to finance ANC activities.
The ANC last week distanced itself from allegations of organised criminal activity levelled against Mogotsi, stating that he was not a registered member of the party. However, Mogotsi has vehemently refuted this claim, asserting that his membership remains valid and that he can prove it.
“I am a member of the ANC and I shall remain a member, a volunteer of the African National Congress. That is the status,” Mogotsi stated in an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
In contrast, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula told journalists that Mogotsi’s ANC membership had expired, effectively meaning the North West businessman was no longer part of the movement.
Mogotsi has rubbished Mbalula’s claims, accusing him of acting prematurely and relying on untested information presented to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
“He is relying on messages presented to the commission. I thought as a secretary-general of the oldest movement on the continent, he would allow the rule which he mentioned, the audi alteram partem principle, to state his side of the story,” said Mogotsi at the time, referencing the legal principle of hearing the other side.
He dismissed Mbalula’s assertions as “immaterial.”
Mogotsi further added that he would not contest any decision by the ANC to terminate his membership. The police raid on Mogotsi's premises marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into corruption and unlawful interference within the SAPS, and the public awaits further details as the probe continues.
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