AGE OF THE ASSASSIN: ‘Overwhelming case’: Brown Mogotsi denied bail in alleged staged shooting

ANC fixer Brown Mogotsi will remain behind bars after a court found there was no reliable address to which the police could trace him. This after the State presented evidence showing that the shooting in which he claimed to be a victim was staged, and ballistic evidence linked the firearm involved to other serious crimes.

The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court has found that releasing North West businessman and ANC fixer Brown Mogotsi on bail would not be in the interests of justice, citing the strength of the State’s case and concerns that he could evade trial.

Mogotsi appeared briefly in court on Thursday, 4 June 2026, in connection with what the State alleges was a staged assassination attempt last year.

The bail judgment comes after ballistic evidence linked the firearm used in the incident to at least two other serious crimes, an armed robbery and a murder case.

At the time of the shooting, Mogotsi told police that unknown gunmen had followed and ambushed him while he was driving a red Chevrolet in Vosloorus, firing multiple shots at his vehicle. The police recovered 11 spent cartridge casings from the scene.

The State, however, rejected Mogotsi’s version of events. Last week, it introduced evidence suggesting the shooting had in fact been staged. The court also heard that ballistic evidence showed that “the vehicle was stationary when the vehicle was shot… There was no person inside at the time it was shot at.”

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Magistrate Annalise Tlhapi said: “This court will not dwell deeper into the merits of the case, since I’m not a trial court; however, one of the factors to be considered is the strength of the case...”

“Is it is apparent to this court that there is an overwhelming case against the applicant; moreover, that cartridges that were found at the scene of the crime in Vosloorus are linked to other serious cases, serious offences,” she said.

The 47-year-old is facing five charges: unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place, defeating the ends of justice, and perjury.

Tlhapi said the court was required to weigh the interests of justice against Mogotsi’s right to personal liberty, while considering any prejudice he might suffer if detained. She said the court’s decision on whether to grant bail was guided by the factors set out in Section 60 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

“I have focused mainly on Section 60 subsection 4b, whether the applicant will evade his trial, whether the applicant is a flight risk, whether he will be traceable or not, and w