By Anita Dangazele
- The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court denied Brown Mogotsi bail on Thursday, finding his listed home address was not genuinely his.
- Police found another woman living at Mogotsi’s address with her own lease, and his landlord never came to court to back his claim.
Brown Mogotsi is not going anywhere. The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court denied the self-proclaimed political fixer bail on Thursday, ruling he failed to prove where he lives.
The court found that without a confirmed address, the State would struggle to find Mogotsi if released and that he might skip his trial.
“There is no proper address for the applicant, and it will be difficult for the state to trace him,” the magistrate said.
“Bail is denied.”
The address was the issue that sank him. When police visited Mogotsi’s listed home, they found a woman already living there with her own lease. His defence team produced a lease agreement naming Albert Moisakgosi as his landlord.
The defence argued the document had a typographical error and that Mogotsi’s belongings were at the property. The magistrate was not convinced.
Mogotsi, 47, has been in custody since his arrest on 15 May. He faces five Schedule 5 charges linked to an alleged staged assassination attempt on himself in Vosloorus in November 2025. The charges include 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 on his case.
The case drew national attention after Mogotsi testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry shortly before his arrest.
The firearm linked to the alleged incident has not been recovered. Prosecutors say ballistic evidence connects it to other serious crimes, including murder.
Pictured above: Brown Mogotsi appears in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court during his bail application.
Image source: File
