By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader and MP Fadiel Adams testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry stood down until the 19th of August 2026.
According to the commission, the evidence leaders received his sworn affidavit and supporting documents only hours before his scheduled appearance.
On August 3rd last year, a Rule 3 Notice was issued, and a response (getting a statement) was expected by October 25th last year.
The commission has been requesting information from Adams, according to Chief Evidence leader Mathew Chaskalson. He asserts that Adams is a crucial witness, necessitating additional preparation time.
“We had hoped to be questioning Adams today but, unfortunately, we are going to ask that his questioning be stood down to the 19th,” Chaskalson said.
Adams is implicated in initiating a section 27 complaint that led to the arrest of Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo and several senior Crime Intelligence officials.
The commission had agreed with Adams that his statement would be filed by 6 August, before his scheduled testimony on 10 August.
Adams attributed the delay to problems with his parliamentary laptop.
“Parliament can confirm that I have a very problematic laptop. My laptop is either in for repairs or frozen,” he said.
He also told the commission that he had become aware of the Rule 3 notice only a few months ago.
Commission chairperson Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned how Adams could perform his parliamentary duties while experiencing the problems he described.
“Is the laptop you are talking about the same laptop you are using for your parliamentary business?” Madlanga asked.
“It is,” Adams replied.
Madlanga pressed Adams on how he was able to function as an MP if his laptop was regularly unusable.
“I am struggling with it,” Adams said. “Half the time I don’t, half the time I have to walk to people for information or call up for information,” he said.
Madlanga said he found Adams’s explanation difficult to accept.
“I find that very hard to believe … that it’s only about three months back that you became aware that you got a Rule 3 notice from this commission, “Madlanga said.
Chaskalson said 19 August was the commission’s next available slot and that Adams had confirmed his availability. Adams was excused until then.
Meanwhile Parliament reviewed the ICT Service Desk records relating to technical support logged for him during the relevant period.
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.
The next witness on the stand was Drushantha Ramsamy, a State Advocate with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), a unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Ramsamy told the commission that she was removed from a prosecution team after challenging instructions from IDAC boss Andrea Johnson, over arrests and bail applications.
She was testifying about the handling of the Dineo Mokwele matter when she described growing disagreement within IDAC over how accused persons should be dealt with.
Ramsamy said she had objected when prosecutors were instructed to oppose a bail amendment application despite their view that there were no legal grounds to do so.
“I was voted off the team because I expressed the view that we cannot go and oppose this application,” she told the commission.
She said her position was that prosecutors should accept the magistrate’s decision rather than attempt to circumvent it through another application.
Ramsamy also described what happened after another magistrate refused to impose the same bail restrictions on fraud- and corruption-accused Maj-Gen Philani Lushaba that had been imposed on other accused in the matter.
She said there was great panic among senior officials, including Johnson, after Lushaba returned to his office.
“They even wanted me to do Section 63 application against Lushaba in the house breaking matter,” Ramsamy said.
Ramsamy’s evidence also turned to Johnson’s involvement in planning arrests.
She said Johnson, although not involved in investigations on the ground, was giving detailed instructions about where suspects should be arrested and how the takedown should proceed.
“Adv Johnson, who is the head of office, who is not on the ground doing investigations, is now informing the prosecutors and the investigators.”
Ramsamy continued detailing allegations of wrongdoing and procedural failures inside the anti-corruption unit during Johnson’s tenure. The latter resigned with immediate effect after she came under scrutiny for her role in certain prosecutorial matters arising at the commission.