Fadiel Adams has vowed to expose alleged irregularities before the Madlanga Commission, as his fraud case moves to the regional court.
National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams. Picture: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach
The case against National Coloured Congress leader and Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams was transferred from the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court to the Regional Court, where it was set to return on 11 September.
Adams made a brief appearance in Pinetown on Friday, where the State confirmed that investigations into the matter had been finalised.
According to Adams, he intended to cooperate fully with proceedings.
“I’m here to smile at the judge, to show the judge that I act in good faith, that I’m not in breach of my bail conditions,” he told the SABC on Friday morning.
Adams was arrested in Cape Town in May and was released on R10 000 bail.
Charges linked to prison visit
Adams faced three counts of fraud and two of defeating the ends of justice.
The state alleged that he misrepresented himself to gain access to Westville Prison, where he secretly interviewed and recorded inmates linked to the 2017 murder of former ANC Youth League secretary Sindiso Magaqa.
Investigators claimed the recordings were later used to implicate senior police officials, including Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo.
Both detainees have since been convicted. Explaining his visit, Adams said he had been alerted to a policeman he believed was wrongfully imprisoned.
“I went to the prison as part of my oversight to speak to a policeman,” he said.
Laptop dispute delayed commission testimony
Adams had previously appeared briefly before the Madlanga Commission at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria on 11 August 2026, but did not proceed with his testimony after submitting his statement only late the night before.
He attributed the delay partly to ongoing problems with his laptop, which he said had malfunctioned for around 18 months and had at times frozen or needed repairs.
Parliament subsequently disputed his account, prompting a sharp response from Adams.
“Parliament is lying,” he said, adding that he had sent supporting evidence, including email correspondence with the Speaker, to journalists.
He questioned why the institution had become involved at all, saying, “I have no idea why Parliament is getting involved in all of this.”
Set to face questions on Crime Intelligence complaints
Adams is expected to return to the Madlanga Commission on 19 August, when he will face questions about complaints he lodged against Crime Intelligence officials.
Those complaints subsequently led to multiple investigations by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, which have featured prominently in the commission’s recent proceedings and contributed to the resignation of former Idac head Andrea Johnson.
Adams said his upcoming testimony would expose the extent of alleged wrongdoing within the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team.
“It’s shocking. I knew it was bad, but it’s clear that it’s worse than we thought,” he said.
