Wendy Dondolo|Published
Self-proclaimed political fixer Brown Mogotsi’s application to compel the State to provide further particulars and disclose information in his criminal case has been postponed to November 13 in the Johannesburg Regional Court.
Mogotsi 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 stem from allegations that he staged an assassination attempt on himself in Vosloorus in November 2025.
The matter was postponed on Friday after the State told the court it had only received the application and needed time to prepare a response.
Defence seeks witness information
Mogotsi’s defence is seeking additional information it says is necessary to prepare for trial, including cellphone records of State witnesses, employment records, proof of residence, unredacted witness statements and images extracted from video footage of the alleged shooting.
His legal team argues that the information is important to test the credibility and reliability of witnesses and establish whether their accounts are consistent with the State’s version of events.
The application, dated October 5, asks the court to compel the prosecution to provide information that the defence says would help it investigate the allegations, identify possible inconsistencies and prepare for cross-examination.
The defence also wants the State to disclose the identities and identifying details of witnesses whose information was allegedly redacted on security grounds.
Mogotsi’s lawyers argued that withholding witness identities and other identifying details could prejudice his constitutional right to a fair trial. They maintained that any witness-protection concerns should be presented to the court and assessed against his fair-trial rights.
State requests time to respond
The State indicated that it had responded to the initial request for further particulars but had not yet prepared a response to the substantive application and supporting affidavit.
The defence did not oppose the postponement but criticised the late delivery of the application, arguing that the State needed adequate time to prepare its response.
The State apologised for the oversight and agreed that the matter could be postponed to allow a response to be prepared.
Court raises concern over delays
The court expressed dissatisfaction with repeated postponements and stressed the need for the parties to exchange documents timeously.
The matter was postponed to November 13 for the further hearing of Mogotsi’s application and the State’s response. The court also directed that the response be made available at least two days before the hearing to give the defence sufficient time to prepare.
Mogotsi remains in custody as the proceedings continue.
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