Fadiel Adams’ Madlanga Commission claim disputed by Parliament
· The South African
Parliament has disputed National Coloured Congress (NCC) MP Fadiel Adams’ claims about his faulty laptop following his appearance before the Madlanga Commission.
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Adams blamed technical problems for delays in accessing correspondence from the commission.
He said his Parliament-issued laptop had caused problems for about 18 months and frequently froze or went in for repairs.
However, Parliament checked its ICT records and found no evidence of persistent hardware failures or repeated repairs.
Adams questioned over delay
Adams appeared before the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday, but his testimony did not proceed as planned.
He submitted his written statement and supporting documents shortly before he was due to testify.
Commission chairperson, retired justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, questioned him about the delay.
Adams pointed to problems with his parliamentary laptop.
Madlanga questioned how Adams had continued performing his parliamentary duties if the device had regularly been unusable.
“Is the laptop you are talking about the same laptop you are using for your parliamentary business?” Madlanga asked.
“It is,” Adams replied.
The commission postponed his testimony to 19 August.
Parliament responds
Following Adams’ appearance, Parliament reviewed its ICT Service Desk records.
It said it would not ordinarily comment on explanations an MP gives before a commission of inquiry.
However, it said Adams’ remarks could create the impression that Parliament had failed to provide him with functional equipment for an extended 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,” Parliament said in a statement.
Instead, its records show several routine support requests.
These included a Windows password reset in January 2025 and an ERP/Marang password reset in June 2025.
ICT staff assisted Adams with logging into a device in July 2025 and updated his Wi-Fi in January 2026.
He also logged an ERP/Marang eDisclosure-related request in June 2026.
Parliament said it resolved and closed the requests.
It stressed that password resets, login difficulties and connectivity issues differ from a device being technically dysfunctional for an extended period.
“Parliament therefore has no ICT Service Desk record supporting the assertion that Mr Adams’ parliamentary laptop was persistently dysfunctional for approximately 18 months in the manner described before the Commission,” it said.
Parliament also pointed out that MPs receive a laptop, tablet and smartphone to ensure they can continue working when one device requires technical attention.
It said established ICT channels allow members to report and resolve technical problems.
Parliament stressed that its response only addressed Adams’ claims about the ICT support it provided.
It would not comment on the substance of his evidence before the Commission.
Adams is expected to return to the Madlanga Commission on 19 August.