IN FULL | KZN Police Commissioner Mkhwanazi speaks in detail about Brown Mogotsi

Eyewitness News

This video has been trending in South Africa

KwaZulu‐Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi gives a granular account of why veteran detective Brown Mogotsi has become the focus of parallel criminal and internal investigations. He starts by sketching Mogotsi’s long career in the South African Police Service, noting his reputation for cracking high-profile cases and the trust he once enjoyed among colleagues. According to the commissioner, that reputation began to unravel after a pattern of unexplained wealth surfaced: luxury vehicles, multiple properties and frequent cash purchases that far exceeded his official salary. When the SAPS Integrity Management Unit cross-checked these red flags with intelligence reports linking Mogotsi to organised crime figures operating in Durban, a decision was taken to place him under covert surveillance.

Mkhwanazi outlines the key incidents that triggered the current prosecution. First was evidence tying Mogotsi to a series of cash-in-transit heists, including cellphone data that put him at planning meetings and voice notes in which he allegedly advised robbers on police response times. Second was the discovery that firearms logged as “exhibits” in cases assigned to him later resurfaced at violent crime scenes. Forensic ballistics matched at least three murder weapons to guns that should have been locked in SAPS storerooms. The commissioner stresses that this finding was pivotal because it converted internal suspicion into a criminal docket that the National Prosecuting Authority could act on.

He then details the multidisciplinary operation that led to Mogotsi’s arrest. Hawks investigators, Crime Intelligence operatives and the Tactical Response Team executed simultaneous raids at Mogotsi’s home, a family business and a safe house in Umlazi. They recovered R1,2 million in cash, cloned police blue-lights, unlicensed firearms and bank cards belonging to convicted robbers. Mkhwanazi confirms that digital forensics teams cloned all seized devices and that data extraction is ongoing, adding that more arrests are expected as linkages to extortion and kidnapping syndicates are corroborated.

Turning to the administrative dimension, the commissioner explains that Mogotsi was served with a precautionary suspension in terms of SAPS Regulation 13(1) immediately after his court appearance. A separate departmental inquiry will run parallel to the criminal trial to prevent technical delays from blocking his dismissal if gross misconduct is proven. Mkhwanazi emphasises lessons learned from previous disciplinary failures, including tighter evidence-chain management and mandatory lifestyle audits for detectives who handle high-value exhibits.

Finally, Mkhwanazi addresses public confidence. He concedes that the case has exposed weaknesses in supervisory oversight but argues that the decisive action taken shows the system can self-correct. He vows weekly progress briefings until the matter is finalised and urges citizens to come forward with information, assuring that witness-protection resources have been set aside. The commissioner closes by reiterating that rooting out corrupt officers like Brown Mogotsi is essential for restoring integrity within the KwaZulu-Natal policing environment and for dismantling the crime networks that rely on compromised insiders.

Share Video

¿Do you like IN FULL | KZN Police Commissioner Mkhwanazi speaks in detail about Brown Mogotsi? Share it with your people...

Playlist