VIDEO | Vehicle in Mogotsi’s alleged hit had expired licence

It was just after 9pm on Monday night when a couple sitting outside their home in Vosloorus witnessed a red Chevrolet travelling at high speed suddenly get off the road and screeched to a halt in an open space.

,Moments later, the sole occupant of the car alighted with a gun in his hand and fired several shots. The couple fled for cover in different directions, fearing for their lives.

The vehicle would later be identified by police as one that was being driven by controversial figure Brown Mogotsi, who is at the centre of explosive allegations of political interference in the criminal justice system.

Mogotsi, according to police, claimed that he came under attack from unknown people while driving in Voslorous ext 25 but survived the alleged shooting unharmed.

A woman who was outside the house with her partner when Mogotsi’s vehicle came to a stop near their home, said she only saw one occupant of the car who was talking on the phone before it came to a sudden stop.

Shortly afterwards, the witness said, she heard gunshots which caused them to panic and run for cover.

“He [the driver of the car] parked his car on the deserted space next to housing facing the N3 highway. The same man alighted from the car with a gun and fired shots. My partner and I ran in different directions to seek refuge.

“I even left my shoes behind; I was scared. What if he had pointed the gun towards us?”

On Tuesday morning, the woman said she heard that the car belonged to Mogotsi and that he had apparently come under attack from unknown assailants. The woman said she was skeptical about going to police with information but eventually did on Tuesday afternoon.

According to eNatis records, the vehicle Mogotsi was driving belongs to a now-deregistered investment company that was based in Berea, Johannesburg. Its licence disc expired in June and the sole director of the company it is registered under was also once one of the directors of Islandsite Investments 180, a Gupta-owned company.

Residents who responded to the scene of the alleged shooting involving Mogotsi detailed how when he was offered help he refused and left the scene. According to the residents, he rejected outright their offer to call the police.

“He said ‘no’, stating that police were going to finish him off,” said one resident who asked not to be named.

On Tuesday, the open space where the alleged shooting happened was cordoned off as police officers in protective gear were combing the scene.

The car had been towed to Vosloorus police station where Col Chris Mangena, a top ballistic expert, was busy inspecting it with colleagues in forensic suits.

Residents told Sowetan that they had rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots ring out at night. They found Mogotsi’s car, which had shattered windows, parked.

There was no one inside nor nearby. The lights were on, the keys were still in the ignition but the engine was off.

One resident said as they tried to make sense of the situation, a white VW Golf arrived. It parked behind the red car and Mogotsi alighted from it.

The witness said: “He (Mogotsi) said he had been followed from Spruitview BP garage by unknown men driving in a white bakkie. When we asked if we could call the police or ambulance, he declined and said the police will finish him off.”

Another resident, *Thuto, said while they were still there, a white bakkie then arrived and Mogotsi said it was his security team. “He got into the bakkie and left with them,” he said.

When police arrived at the scene, Mogotsi had already left.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said police later went to the scene. However, Mogotsi was not there. Mathe said they called him to go to Vosloorus police station and make a statement but he told them he was traumatised and would go to the station on Tuesday morning to open a case.

By late afternoon, however, he still had not shown up.

Mathe said earlier in the day that they could not confirm whether allegations that Brown Mogotsi was shot at are a genuine attempt on his life or possibly a staged event until Mogotsi provides his statement.

This comes against the backdrop of witnesses alleging Mogotsi staged the attempted murder scene. “If what the community members are alleging is true, that will be tantamount to defeating the ends of justice,” said Mathe.

“It’s a waste of state resources because we have even roped in a top ballistic expert to come here and try to solve the case. We have detectives conducting investigations. These resources would have been diverted elsewhere. We are hoping what the community is saying is not true,” said Mathe.