Brown Mogotsi returns to court as trial date expected to be set

Controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi is due back in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Wednesday, when a trial date is expected to be set after two failed attempts to win bail in a case linked to an alleged staged assassination attempt.

Charges and background

Mogotsi remains in custody and faces charges of perjury, defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and discharging a firearm in a public place. The charges relate to allegations that he staged his own assassination attempt in Vosloorus in November 2025.

Bail applications and magistrate’s findings

Magistrate Annalise Tlhapi dismissed Mogotsi’s second bail application on June 29, finding that he had not presented any new facts to justify release. The magistrate said the residential address submitted by the defence had already been considered during the initial bail application and was supported by the same information previously presented to the court, including a location pin and confirmation from his wife.

The first bail application was dismissed on June 4 after the court found he had failed to provide a verifiable residential address. The magistrate said:

“The addresses provided by the applicant are not correct and do not belong to the applicant.”

The investigating officer gave evidence that several addresses provided by Mogotsi, his wife and his alleged landlord had been investigated and were occupied by other people. The court also heard allegations that Mogotsi attempted to bribe the investigating officer not to oppose his release on bail. Based on these findings, the magistrate ruled there was a real risk Mogotsi could evade trial and that the interests of justice did not permit his release.

State’s account of the Vosloorus incident

According to the State, Mogotsi fired 11 rounds into his own vehicle before falsely reporting to police that unknown gunmen had ambushed him while he was driving through Vosloorus. Investigators recovered 11 spent cartridge casings at the scene.

Prosecutors say ballistic evidence and CCTV footage contradict Mogotsi’s account. The State alleges forensic evidence shows the vehicle was stationary when it was shot and that no one was inside at the time. CCTV footage allegedly showed no other vehicles in the area, which the State says undermines Mogotsi’s claim that he had been followed and attacked. Investigators further allege that the missing 9mm firearm used in the incident is linked to separate murder and attempted murder cases.

Custody and recent appearances

Mogotsi has been in custody since his arrest on May 15, which occurred days after he appeared before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where he testified amid allegations that he acted as an intermediary between senior law enforcement officials and politically connected individuals.

Instead of appealing the June 4 ruling, Mogotsi’s legal team, led by attorney Makau William Sekgatja, brought a fresh bail application on June 22 that was also dismissed.

What happens next

The matter returns to the Johannesburg Regional Court on Wednesday, when the court is expected to set a trial date.