Parliament disputes Fadiel Adams’ claims about faulty laptop
Parliament has disputed National Coloured Congress Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams’ claim that problems with his parliamentary laptop contributed to his failure to respond to correspondence from the Madlanga Commission.
Adams was due to testify before the Commission in Pretoria on Tuesday, but his testimony was postponed after his witness statement was submitted late on Monday night.
Evidence Leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson asked that Adams’ testimony be stood down until next Wednesday, saying the Commission had not been given enough time to properly prepare for his evidence.
Chaskalson told the Commission that there had been extensive correspondence with Adams about his statement and his response to a Rule 3 notice.
“There is a long and lengthy correspondence running through from October last year and then it starts to accelerate through April, May, June and July.”
He said the Commission had repeatedly sought Adams’ statement, eventually agreeing to give him until the previous Thursday to submit it.
“Our last offer was an agreement that the statement could be filed by Thursday last week.”
Adams ultimately submitted the statement after 9pm on Monday, hours before he was due to appear before the Commission.
During proceedings, Adams blamed the delay partly on problems with his Parliament-issued laptop.
He told the Commission that the device had been problematic for about 18 months, frequently freezing or being sent for repairs, and that this had affected his ability to access information.
The explanation prompted questions from Commission Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, who questioned how Adams had been able to perform his parliamentary duties if he could not reliably access electronic communication.
READ: Parliament suspends NCC leader Fadiel Adams
Adams said he had sometimes had to seek information from other people.
Following Adams’ testimony, Parliament reviewed its Information and Communications Technology Service Desk records relating to support provided to him.
Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said those records do not support Adams’ description of a laptop that had been persistently malfunctioning.
“The records do not reflect any reported incident of persistent laptop malfunction, hardware failure, repeated freezing of the device, or the laptop being repeatedly submitted to ICT for repairs.”
Mothapo said the records instead show a number of routine ICT support requests.
These include a Windows password reset in January 2025, an ERP/Marang password reset in June 2025, assistance with logging into a device in July 2025, a Wi-Fi update in January 2026 and an ERP/Marang eDisclosure-related request in June 2026.
He said the matters were logged with Parliament’s ICT Service Desk and closed.
Mothapo said these types of problems are different from a device being unavailable or technically dysfunctional for an extended period.
“Parliament therefore has no ICT Service Desk record supporting the assertion that Mr Adams’s parliamentary laptop was persistently dysfunctional for approximately 18 months in the manner described before the Commission.”
Parliament has also stressed that Members of Parliament are provided with more than one device.
Mothapo said MPs receive a laptop, tablet and smartphone to help ensure they have continued access to information while carrying out their parliamentary responsibilities.
“Members are provided with multiple ICT devices, including a laptop, tablet and smart phone, precisely to support continuity of access and enable Members to perform their parliamentary responsibilities.”
He said alternative Parliament-issued devices can be used when a particular device is being attended to, while technical problems can also be reported through established ICT support channels.
The dispute over Adams’ laptop comes against the backdrop of the Commission’s interest in his role in an investigation into Crime Intelligence.
Adams previously submitted a Section 27 affidavit to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, calling for an investigation into alleged corruption within Crime Intelligence.
The affidavit later became central to investigations involving senior Crime Intelligence officials.
According to the background presented to the Commission, some witnesses have implicated Adams in the submission of the affidavit, which subsequently led to the arrest of seven Crime Intelligence officials.
Adams is also expected to face questions about confidential intelligence documents which he has said were slipped under the door of his parliamentary office.
The documents allegedly formed the basis of his complaint to the IDAC.
The Commission has been investigating allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Parliament has stressed that its response to Adams’ laptop claims is limited to its own ICT and administrative records.
Mothapo says Parliament is not commenting on the substance of Adams’ evidence before the Commission.
That evidence, he said, remains a matter for the Commission to consider.
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