By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Parliament has suspended the National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader and MP Fadiel Adams for 20 days for bringing the institution into disrepute.
The suspension follows a finding by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests that Adams breached the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests by publishing the personal contact details of a Democratic Alliance (DA) staff member on social media.
The complaint was lodged by DA chief whip George Michalakis after Adams posted a screenshot of an email containing the staff member’s email address and telephone numbers. Adams told the committee that he had not realised the screenshot contained personal information and apologised for the disclosure.
The ethics committee found that Adams had breached the code and treated an earlier social media-related violation as an aggravating factor. It recommended that he be reprimanded, apologise to Parliament, serve the 20-day suspension and lose the corresponding portion of his salary and allowances.
The announcement was made on Wednesday during a meeting of Parliament’s Section 89 Impeachment Committee.
Committee Secretary Thembinkosi Ngoma briefed members during proceedings, confirming that Adams was placed on suspension on Monday under the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act. However, no further details were provided to the committee regarding the reasons behind the decision.
“The NCC member has been suspended for 20 days, with effect from the 3rd of August. So, he is not on the platform, and he will only be joining the committee once the suspension is lifted,” Ngoma said.
Adams has been an active participant in the Section 89 impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa, which is currently in a state of uncertainty following a Western Cape High Court ruling that halted the hearing of oral evidence in its processes.
The committee is continuing its preparatory work despite the legal setback, including moving ahead with administrative steps such as the recommendation and appointment of an evidence leader, while also preparing to appeal the court ruling.
Adams is also scheduled to appear before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on August 11, the commission confirmed last week.
His evidence is expected to focus on a complaint he submitted to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) concerning alleged fraud and corruption involving senior SAPS Crime Intelligence officials.
Meanwhile MK Party David Skhosana was also found to have contravened the Code in two separate matters.
In the first, the committee found that he had failed to properly disclose a directorship in UVO Communications in the public section of the Register of Members’ Interests, despite the company being identified in Auditor-General audit findings as a service provider.
He was reprimanded in the House and fined R15 000.
In the second matter, the committee found that Skosana had verbally intimidated a Newzroom Afrika journalist following an interview conducted in Parliament. He was reprimanded in the House, suspended from parliamentary debates and committee meetings for 15 parliamentary days, and had his salary and allowances reduced for the duration of the suspension.