North West businessman Brown Mogotsi gave evidence before the Ad Hoc Committee probing allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Image: Supplied / Parliament
In a dramatic turn of events, North West businessman Oupa Brown Mogotsi on Tuesday acknowledged that his suspicions about KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi being a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent were unfounded, attributing the lack of tangible evidence to the unreliable nature of his sources.
Testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee, Mogotsi said his information that Mkhwanazi and Zulu King Misuzulu were recruited and worked for the CIA came from his handler
“It does not necessarily mean it came from me. It came as a task to establish that since a case was opened by a royal house member,” he said.
Mogotsi was appearing before the committee after he previously demanded Parliament pay for his security detail after citing threats to his life, but subsequently agreed as the MPs wanted him to be subpoenaed and refused his request.
During his testimony, he sought to prove he travelled to Kenya by showing a passport when he met a certain George, whom he was referred to by late Police minister Nathi Mthethwa.
“As things stand now, I can never say, indeed, the suspicions are correct because after I briefed the late former minister, who spoke of coming to Madlanga (Commission of Inquiry) at that time, that George has knowledge about these operations of CIA in the southern Africa but he could not give me something tangible to produce,” he said.
When led by evidence leader Advocate Maria Mokhoaetsi, the North West businessman confirmed that he has no formal qualifications and that he ran a few businesses, including food production and meat distribution.
He stated that he has been involved in Crime Intelligence since 1999, starting as an informant before becoming a contact agent in 2001.
“I did some operations as an informant. In 2002, I deregistered as I was no more active. I then became an agent when I was recruited and was given some small tasks.”
Asked to respond to testimony by Crime Intelligence officials at the Madlanga Commission that he was not with Crime Intelligence, Mogotsi said the colonel who disputed his links would not have known about him, and that he had been an acting head for agents in 2024.
He also said another official deposed a contradictory affidavit that attested to his registration.
“I was registered as an informant. By the time I became a contact agent, it was done manually and kept by a handler,” he said in his testimony.
However, EFF leader Julius Malema enquired why Mogotsi called himself an entrepreneur.
“It can’t be a concept loosely thrown around,” said Malema.
In response, Mogotsi said he called himself an entrepreneur because he has small businesses.
“We do applications for entrepreneur development. I just call myself a small business(man) and entrepreneur. To me, they are the same,” he said, adding that he has liquor outlets and distributes meat.
Mogotsi also said he did a lot of event catering.
“None of them comes from the government. It is private business.”
During his testimony, Mogotsi was quizzed about cases he mentioned in his affidavit as investigations he purportedly conducted, calling himself a government employee in the Office of the Police Minister and a complainant.
He said this was part of what he termed “legend building”.
“You create any false life provided your handler knows the operation.”
Mogotsi also confirmed that the birth date on his ID was incorrect and that he was born in 1979.
“At Madlanga, they felt I lied, and now I am a professional liar,” he said.
Mogotsi told the parliamentary inquiry that evidence about his involvement in Crime Intelligence could be confirmed if his handler submitted evidence or the information was subjected to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.
He also indicated that his co-handler was due to appear before the Madlanga Commission and that his handler was shot six times in Johannesburg.
“He has written an affidavit explaining the role and things I have done.”
Mogotsi was asked questions that he claimed Matlala told him he was to meet a person to solve his difficulties before the July 2025 media briefing.
He said Matlala had mentioned the date of his appointment and that he followed him to Umhlanga in Durban.
“I did not see who the person was and who he did meet,” said Mogotsi, adding that Matlala later informed him that he had gone to meet Mkhwanazi.
He said Mkhwanazi should have, at his media briefing, taken the nation into his confidence about meeting Matlala just as he had claimed that he would never have a meeting with criminals when suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu arranged a meeting between him and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya to resolve their differences.
Mogotsi later withdrew his statement when it was pointed out that he misquoted Mkhwanazi’s comments on never to make peace with a criminal.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za