By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Member of Parliament and leader of the National Coloured Congress (NCC), Fadiel Adams, has been granted R10 000 bail in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court in Durban.
Adams faces two counts of defeating the ends of justice and three counts of fraud.
The State accuses Adams of falsely claiming he was on official parliamentary duty to gain access to a hitman convicted of killing former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) Secretary General, Sindiso Magaqa.
In her ruling, Magistrate Gwendolyn Robertson said she had to consider several factors, including whether Adams is a flight risk, whether he would evade his trial, and his personal circumstances.
All these factors had to be weighed against the interest of justice.
“As I have said, your evidence indicates that you are a family man, you have ties to South Africa, you have the means to travel to your place of trial, should this matter proceed to trial.”
“You also, at this point in time, hold a position in Parliament, and that cannot be ignored,” She said.
Robertson said she is fully cognizant of the Constitution of South Africa, which provides that no person ought to be deprived of their liberty and freedom arbitrarily.
If it is in the interest of justice to do so, an arrested person is entitled to be released from detention on bail, She added.
Adams has been ordered not to communicate with witnesses for the prosecution, namely members of the South African Police Services (SAPS), whether it is the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) members or other members of the Durban Metro Police Services, as well as employees of the Department of Correctional Services.
He has also been ordered to report in person to the charge office at Mitchells Plain Police Station in Cape Town between 6am and 8pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, pending the finalisation of the matter.
Adams will be back in court on the 14th of August 2026.
Meanwhile the case against Dumisani Khumalo, the head of Crime Intelligence in the South African Police Service (SAPS), and six co-accused has been postponed by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court pending the outcome of legal representations submitted to the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Khumalo and five other accused lodged representations during the same week the matter was due to be transferred to a higher court for trial proceedings.
The accused are facing charges of fraud and corruption linked to the alleged appointment of an unqualified civilian within the Crime Intelligence Division of SAPS. Prosecutors allege the appointment process was irregular and forms the basis of the criminal case against the accused.
The NPA’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) confirmed that investigations into the matter have been completed and prosecutors are prepared to proceed with trial once the representations process has been finalised.
Representations to the NDPP are typically submitted by accused persons requesting prosecutors to reconsider aspects of the case, including the decision to prosecute or the charges involved.
The outcome of that process will determine the next steps before the matter can proceed to trial in a higher court. The matter will return to court on 03 September 2026.