North West businessman and alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi is due to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for his fourth attempt to secure bail on “new facts”, after three previous bids were rejected.
His latest application will be based on what his lawyers say is new information in the case stemming from an alleged staged assassination attempt in Vosloorus last year.
Mogotsi made a brief appearance in court last Thursday.
The matter comes after the court dismissed his application to compel prosecutors to disclose the identities and addresses of State witnesses expected to testify against him.
‘False report to police’
The court ruled that their details should remain confidential because of safety concerns.
The case was postponed to allow the State to hand the remaining investigation docket to the defence before the matter proceeds.
Mogotsi faces multiple Schedule 5 charges, including perjury, defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place and attempting to bribe the investigating officer.
The state alleges that Mogotsi fired 11 rounds at his own vehicle before falsely reporting to police that unknown gunmen had ambushed him while he was driving through Vosloorus. The incident occurred in November 2025.
Investigators recovered 11 spent cartridges at the scene.
However, ballistic analysis and CCTV footage allegedly contradicted Mogotsi’s account.
Witness approached
The State contends that forensic evidence shows the vehicle was stationary when it was shot and that no one was inside.
CCTV footage also allegedly shows no other vehicles in the area, undermining claims that attackers had followed Mogotsi and opened fire on him.
Prosecutors further allege that witnesses saw Mogotsi leave his vehicle, fire shots at it and later report that there had been an attempt on his life.
The State also alleges that Mogotsi attempted to bribe a police officer in connection with his bail application, and provided investigators with an incorrect residential address.
Prosecutors opposed the defence application for the witnesses’ details, arguing that revealing their identities could compromise their safety.
State prosecutor Thami Mpekana told the court that one witness had previously been approached by people allegedly linked to Mogotsi, after personal details were disclosed during earlier bail proceedings.
Mpekana said the defence had informed the State that it intended to bring a new bail application.
Mogotsi’s lawyer, Makau William Sekgatja, said the parties had agreed to postpone the matter to August 25 for the application.
“We have agreed that the matter be postponed to August 25, for purposes of the bail application on new facts,” Sekgatja said.
He said the defence had received all the required documents from the State.
The case has attracted further attention after investigators alleged that ballistic evidence links the firearm used in the alleged staged shooting to other serious crimes, including murder.
The firearm has not been recovered.
The State has argued that the alleged link to separate murder and attempted murder cases strengthens its case.
The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court previously dismissed Mogotsi’s second bail application on June 4.
He was initially denied bail after failing to provide a verifiable residential address and presenting three conflicting locations.
The State also revealed that he had allegedly attempted to bribe the investigating officer.
On June 29, his legal team brought another application based on “new facts”. It was rejected after the court ruled that the defence had merely “reshuffled” previous evidence and had failed to clarify his permanent residence.
Mogotsi then approached the Johannesburg High Court. On July 30, that court dismissed his urgent bail appeal, leaving him in custody.
