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National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams will appear before the Madlanga Commission on 11 August, following weeks of mounting scrutiny over his role in one of South Africa’s most closely watched corruption inquiries, Cape {town} Etc reports.

The commission reportedly confirmed on Friday, 31 July, that Adams has been formally scheduled to testify after ongoing engagement between his legal representatives and the inquiry.

Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said: ‘There has been correspondence back and forth between Mr. Adams and our legal team. I can now confirm that he will indeed appear before the commission on the 11th of August.’

Adams’ appearance marks a significant moment in the commission’s investigation into allegations of corruption, political interference and misconduct within Crime Intelligence. The inquiry has repeatedly heard evidence about documents allegedly linked to Adams after senior police officials questioned how he came into possession of sensitive Crime Intelligence material.

According to Adams, the documents were never requested by him but were anonymously delivered to his parliamentary office. He says he acted as a whistleblower by forwarding the information to the former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), where he lodged a complaint calling for an investigation into alleged corruption within Crime Intelligence.

That complaint, submitted about two years ago, has since become a key part of the commission’s work.

Reportedly, Adams has consistently denied any wrongdoing and argues that his actions were motivated by the public interest rather than political gain.

He has also pushed back against suggestions that he mishandled classified information, insisting the documents were simply left at his office and that he fulfilled his constitutional duty by reporting what he believed to be possible criminal conduct.

His testimony comes after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told the commission that Adams had allegedly obtained and circulated sensitive Crime Intelligence documents despite not serving on Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.

Former IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson also testified that Adams could potentially face investigation over his possession of the documents. Adams has rejected those claims. The confirmation of Adams’ appearance comes after he publicly criticised the commission for discussing his role without allowing him to respond.

Speaking earlier this week, Adams said he believed he had been sidelined despite his name repeatedly surfacing during testimony.

‘My name has been dragged into this,’ Adams said, arguing that he merely fulfilled his legal obligation by reporting suspected wrongdoing. He also maintained that any decisions taken by investigators after receiving his complaint were beyond his control.

His upcoming testimony is expected to allow commissioners to question him directly about the origin of the documents, the complaints he submitted and the allegations raised during recent hearings.

While Adams prepares to testify before the commission, he is also facing unrelated criminal charges. He is currently out on R10 000 bail on charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice after being arrested two months ago.

Police reportedly allege he interfered with investigations linked to the murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa by communicating with a convicted hitman during a sensitive stage of the investigation. Adams denies wrongdoing in that matter.

Adams’ appearance on 11 August is expected to be one of the commission’s most closely watched sessions as it seeks to establish exactly how the sensitive information entered the public domain and whether any laws were broken.

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