Pretoria – Oupa Brown Mogotsi, a political fixer, faced intense questioning during his second day of testimony at the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria on Wednesday, where he denied accusations of being a habitual liar.
Mogotsi, who claimed to be a contact agent for the South African Police Service (SAPS), was cross-examined after alleging corruption within SAPS’s Crime Intelligence division. He particularly criticized a July 6 media briefing by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, which he claimed was a diversion to distract from corruption issues in the force.
He also accused the political killings task team (PKTT) of being misused for political purposes in KZN and questioned the legitimacy of their December 2024 raid on the home of underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Despite testimony from other witnesses that the raid was part of an operation against organised crime, Mogotsi raised doubts about whether Matlala’s alleged crimes justified the PKTT’s involvement.
When asked about his comparison of Mkhwanazi’s briefing to a “coup”, Mogotsi argued that such a press conference was unusual and suggested that Mkhwanazi had the support of senior police officials, including National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola. He also referenced statements by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who had explained the dissolution of the PKTT as a “procedural and policy matter.”
Mogotsi later conceded that there may be some truth to Mkhwanazi’s claims about crime syndicates influencing senior police officials, acknowledging the complexity of the situation.
The testimony took a personal turn when Mogotsi discussed the alleged assassination attempt on his life in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, on November 3. He rejected accusations that the shooting, which left 11 bullet marks on his vehicle, was staged, insisting it was a genuine attempt on his life. He explained that he was fortunate to survive the attack and expressed frustration over the allegations that he had orchestrated it for publicity.
Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson challenged Mogotsi’s claims that Mkhwanazi and Zulu King Misuzulu had been recruited by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to protect Western mining interests. Mogotsi had alleged that an informant informed him of this, but Chaskalson countered that there were no coal mines in Richards Bay, as Mogotsi had claimed. Mogotsi later admitted he had mistakenly referred to the wrong location, acknowledging the mine was in Mpumalanga.
Chaskalson also presented evidence that Mogotsi had made unsupported statements. Commissioner Sesi Baloyi expressed concern over the lack of facts backing up Mogotsi’s allegations and criticized him for making reckless claims.
Mogotsi’s connections to Mchunu were also examined. He confirmed that he had managed branding for Mchunu’s 2017 ANC campaign but denied any personal association despite Mchunu’s earlier denial. Mogotsi speculated that Mchunu’s denial may have stemmed from an incorrect photo being used to identify him.
Further scrutiny was placed on Mogotsi’s role in a 2023 interdict against the North West government over a R72 million tender. Mogotsi initially denied that Matlala funded the case, but later admitted to discrepancies in his statements. Chaskalson presented evidence showing that Mogotsi had lied under oath in a previous affidavit, where he falsely claimed to have been employed in Mchunu’s office. Mogotsi acknowledged the falsehood but denied that lying was part of his role as an agent.
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