Fadiel Adams suspended from Parliament for 20 days after sharing colleague’s contact details

National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams has been suspended from Parliament for 20 parliamentary days after publishing a social media post that disclosed a Democratic Alliance staff member’s personal contact details and an internal email.

What Parliament decided

Parliament confirmed the sanctions after the House adopted the reports of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests. The committee found that Adams’ publication improperly disclosed personal information and recommended a series of sanctions.

The sanctions include:

• Reprimand in the House
• An apology to the House
• Suspension from parliamentary debates and committee meetings for 20 parliamentary days
• Reduction of salary and allowances for the same 20-day period

How the incident unfolded

The committee’s findings say Adams posted a Facebook entry that included a screenshot of an internal email and the personal contact number of a DA staff member. The screenshot related to the DA’s objection to a parliamentary motion.

Parliament said the publication was inappropriate because it disclosed the staff member’s personal information.

Adams’ response

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Adams accepted responsibility for the post, calling it a mistake:

“I have apologised loudly and profusely. It was an incredibly stupid mistake,”

and later described it as a “really stupid mistake.”

He explained the post arose from a motion his party brought seeking national government intervention in the City of Cape Town, concerning 27 guns that were said to have gone missing and were unreported for almost a decade. Adams said the DA objected to that motion and that he published the email of the objection without cropping out the staff member’s number.

Wider context and next steps

The suspension bars Adams from participating in parliamentary activities and committee meetings for the duration of the 20 parliamentary days, and his salary and allowances will be reduced for that period.

Parliament also confirmed that another MP, the MK party’s David Skosana, was suspended.

Adams and the Madlanga commission

Adams said he took issue with suggestions linking his suspension to the Madlanga commission. The commission has featured his name after he submitted a complaint to suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu that was forwarded to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac). The source states that Idac officials have resigned and that Adams is expected to appear at the commission.

Adams’ suspension followed the adoption of the ethics committee’s report by the House; Parliament imposed the recommended sanctions after the committee’s findings were implemented.