Alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi has withdrawn claims that KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and King Misuzulu kaZwelithini are agents of the CIA.
Mogotsi initially made the allegations before parliament’s ad hoc committee on Tuesday. The committee is investigating allegations of corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
The businessman faced intense scrutiny from MPs, who questioned him regarding his purported role in interfering with police investigations and colluding with senior officials and criminal syndicates.
During his testimony, Mogotsi told the committee that he had obtained information through his “sources” as a crime intelligence agent, suggesting that the king and Mkhwanazi were recruited by the CIA. He asserted that while Mkhwanazi was training in the US, both men were “activated” to protect Western interests.
“Mkhwanazi was also tasked to neutralise any opposition,” Mogotsi claimed, referencing Prince Simakade, who is involved in litigation contesting King Misuzulu’s claim to the Zulu throne.
Mogotsi further alleged that Mkhwanazi deployed members of the political killings task team (PKTT) to intimidate, harass, and attempt to murder members of the royal household associated with Prince Simakade. He claimed that several criminal cases were opened regarding this conduct but were never investigated due to Mkhwanazi’s direct intervention.
Mogotsi testified that he expressed his suspicions to the late former police minister Nathi Mthethwa, who allegedly advised him to travel to Kenya to meet a contact familiar with CIA operations in South Africa. Mogotsi claimed he travelled to Kenya between September 10 and 12, 2025.
“I met with a gentleman who introduced himself only as ‘George’, though I did not believe this to be his real name,” Mogotsi said. “He confirmed the possibility that the information from my source was accurate.”
Mogotsi claimed he contacted Mthethwa upon his return, and that the former minister was prepared to corroborate the allegations before his death on September 30.
Committee members probed the validity of these claims, pointing out a total lack of physical or documented evidence.
ANC MP Khusela Sangoni demanded a formal withdrawal of the allegations.
“He who alleges must prove, or must not make the allegations,” Sangoni said. “Can you kindly withdraw the allegations? If you think you can get proof, you can raise that again, but do not say things before us that you are unable to prove.”
Initially, Mogotsi hesitated, saying, “For me to say he’s not [an agent] is because, at the moment, they are saying there’s no proof I’m able to provide.”
However, under continued pressure from the committee, Mogotsi ultimately withdrew his statement. “I retract the statement regarding both Mkhwanazi and Misuzulu,” he said. “I hereby apologise for casting aspersions on Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi and King Misuzulu.”
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