‘You lied under oath!’ Mogotsi grilled over PKTT chaos and secret WhatsApp plots with Mchunu

Brown Mogotsi, a North West businessman and alleged information peddler, came under scrutiny on Thursday for suggesting that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu used a Constitutional Court ruling to charge Dumisani Khumalo, head of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), despite Khumalo not being implicated in the judgment. 

Mogotsi, who has been accused of leveraging his connections to Mchunu to influence police matters, was testifying at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

He was cross-examined about the court ruling he shared with Mchunu, with a message: “Now we got something proven by the court. This is the matter now which either (Shadrack) Sibiya or the Minister can charge Khumalo and apply Rule 9 of the disciplinary hearing.”

Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, however, pointed out that the court judgment in question had nothing to do with either Khumalo or the PKTT, but events that took place in Cape Town. 

Mogotsi admitted that he had not read the judgment and that he was told it was about the PKTT matter.

He was questioned about a series of WhatsApp messages he exchanged with controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in December 2024.

Mogotsi shared some screenshots of his conversations with Mchunu and Matlala. 

In one message, Mchunu asked Mogotsi about a "breakthrough", which Mogotsi said referred to the community search for a Zama Zama kingpin who had escaped from police custody in Stilfontein during Operation Vala Umgodi.

Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson, SC, suggested that Mogotsi may have reported “as a breakthrough” the potential arrest of the PKTT members who allegedly assaulted Matlala’s wife during the raid at his home.

Mogotsi dismissed the assertion as “a prophecy from somewhere”. 

In a WhatsApp chat, Matlala had texted Mogotsi saying he believed the “guy” from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) could help resolve his issue by arresting PKTT officers involved in the alleged assault on Matlala's wife during the raid. 

Mogotsi said he tried in vain to get the name of the Ipid guy, as he wanted to know more about this individual after being told that he could do “wonders”. 

Chaskalson said: “l put it to you that your version here is transparently false.”

Mogotsi was also questioned about his message to Matlala on December 31, 2024, saying: “Today is D-Day.”

Advocate Sandile Khumalo, SC, one of the commissioners, suggested the message was about the PKTT disbandment because it was the only significant thing that happened that day.

“You knew that the PKTT would be disbanded and you sent that message to Matlala,” he said.

Mogotsi disputed this interpretation, saying it is “misplaced”. 

He clarified that "D-Day" referred to a deadline for Matlala to make a payment to fund some ANC members travelling to Cape Town for the ANC's January 8 event.

Mogotsi was grilled about his qualifications as a contact agent and why he was assigned to probe irregularities in crime intelligence.

He conceded to the commission that he did not have formal training in policing, intelligence gathering, and forensic investigations.

He said his background includes basic training in counter-intelligence and crime intelligence, which he received as an Umkhonto Wesizwe operative.

“You will be sent from one place to another place. You will be tasked to look at cars (and) look at these people from KZN, look at whatever that is required and after that you will be tasked,” Mogotsi said.

Khumalo, SC, taken aback, asked: “And that is counter-intelligence, to look at cars?” 

Justice Madlanga expressed concerns about Mogotsi's testimony, highlighting his apparent disregard for the oath he took, after Mogotsi admitted to lying under oath.

“In an affidavit you say that you work for the government in the office of the minister of police. You said that statement was a lie. You deliberately told this lie for a specific purpose. You told this lie under oath. Do you consider oaths to be binding?” Justice Madlanga asked.

Mogotsi accused the commission of "oppressing" him and he criticised evidence leader Chaskalson, claiming he adopted a prosecutorial tone rather than fulfilling his role.

Mogotsi said: “An agent is not a policeman who will obtain a statement that can be presented here. I give intelligence information, which must be converted into evidence that the commission wants. And how will that be converted? It is when I bring people who will corroborate what I am saying.”

He claimed that KwaZulu-Natal SAPS commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi expressed concerns about his behaviour to Mchunu's chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde.

These concerns related to Mogotsi causing problems within the police force. 

Mogotsi claimed he requested a meeting with Nkabinde and suspended SAPS deputy national commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya to address the issue, but the meeting did not happen.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za