Madlanga scolds Fadiel Adams over laptop excuse, urges respect for commission

Chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga sharply reprimanded Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams after Adams told the commission his laptop had not been working for about 18 months and he could not access correspondence. The exchange came as the commission confronted Adams over his failure to provide a witness statement despite repeated requests.

What Adams told the commission

Adams told the inquiry that his laptop freezes daily, which he said made it difficult for him to access correspondence. He said he only became aware of the commission’s request for his statement about three months ago. When pressed about the timing of his response, Adams answered:

“Parliament can confirm.”

Madlanga’s rebuke and questions of responsibility

Madlanga was unconvinced by Adams’ account. He asked how Adams could effectively carry out his responsibilities as a Member of Parliament if he was unable to deal with electronic communication, and admonished him to treat the commission and the people he represents seriously. Madlanga told Adams:

“You should not be operational as a parliamentarian at all.”

He added:

“It seems to me that you are not taking this commission seriously.”

Timing of the statement and procedural consequences

Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC told the commission that Adams had been asked to provide a sworn statement on October 25, 2025, but had failed to do so. That delay led to a subpoena compelling Adams to appear before the inquiry. Chaskalson said Adams’ statement was received only after 9pm the night before his scheduled appearance, leaving the commission and legal teams with inadequate time to study his evidence and prepare for questioning.

Next steps

The commission postponed Adams’ testimony to August 19 to allow legal teams more time to consider his late-submitted statement.