By Johnathan Paoli
MP Fadiel Adams used his appearance before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Tuesday night to call for Crime Intelligence’s financial records to be subpoenaed.
Adams, the leader of the National Coloured Congress, said only a full forensic review of CI’s ledgers and expenditure trails would resolve ongoing allegations of slush-fund abuse and procurement irregularities.
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Adams also reiterated his position that KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was a “constitutional delinquent”, accusing him of undermining the rule of law and using public platforms to wage factional battles within the police service.
Adams said that Mkhwanazi’s explosive July press briefing last year — which led to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission and the ad hoc committee — was a subtle yet unmistakable threat.
At the media briefing, Mkhwanazi claimed the criminal justice system had been infiltrated by underworld figures and was subject to political interference.
“That press conference was a show of force to all of us: you arrest one of our friends, and we will come for you. It was a threat to this Parliament, the Constitution and the rule of law,” Adams said.
He urged the committee to subpoena CI’s ledgers and expenditure trails.
“I am requiring that this committee get hold of the ledger. Malfeasance is present. Subpoena the financial records, subpoena the ledgers, and get to the bottom of it,” Adams said.
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He linked his criticism of Mkhwanazi to what he said were failures of leadership and accountability, including claims that National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola had not acted decisively amid mounting controversies.
He even went as far as accusing Masemola of possibly receiving bribes from controversial businessman and alleged underworld figure, Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.
“If Masemola doesn’t receive monetary gratification from Cat Matlala, then why has he not stopped this chaos?” Adams asked.
Pressed on evidence to back-up his claim, however, he conceded he was “connecting the dots” but insisted circumstantial patterns warranted deeper investigation.
MKP MP Sibonelo Nomvalo challenged him directly.
“Which evidence do you have that suggests Masemola received money from Cat Matlala?” he asked.
Replied Adams: “[Mkhwanazi] was brave enough to call out politicians, and when [he testified before the ad hoc committee last year] he was brave enough to admit that he has no evidence. The burden of proof is incumbent on the person who made the claims.”
He again alleged that Mkhwanazi failed KwaZulu-Natal during the July 2021 unrest.
“Any man that stands on the sidelines and watches his province burn down doesn’t deserve to have his job,” Adams said.
When asked whether Mkhwanazi’s presence would have prevented the more than 300 deaths during the unrest, Adams avoided a direct answer but repeated that leadership failures were evident.
Mkhwanazi previously told the committee that he was on paternity leave during the riots.
Questions also turned to an envelope of classified documents anonymously slipped under his office door in 2024. Adams said he did not know who authored the material or whether it was authentic.
Mkhwanazi has testified that Adams improperly accessed the classified crime-intelligence meant only for vetted members of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and handled it “recklessly”, including sharing it publicly.
He said Adams’ actions disrupted investigations by the PKTT, involved unsubstantiated allegations about SAPS vetting and secret funds, and formed part of a broader pattern of political interference.
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“I don’t know who authored these documents. I had no idea whether they were authentic. That is why I wanted to hand it over to the appropriate investigating authority,” Adams said.
MKP MP David Skosana pressed him on why he did not secure CCTV footage of the documents being dropped off.
Adams replied he assumed the State Security Agency would handle it and feared exposing the whistleblower.
“The problem I have with the way CI intelligence is leaking is it puts people’s lives at risk,” he said.
Adams admitted he had fears the documents might be false but said he felt duty-bound to act.
He said he opened related criminal cases at three police stations to prevent interference, adding that he feared for his life and had since relocated his family.
“It was a nightmare. There’s a big part of me that wishes I had thrown it away. I was just looking for justice,” he said.
EFF leader Julius Malema reminded members that MPs have a duty to report wrongdoing regardless of who is implicated.
“It is not for them to judge whether it is right or wrong,” he said.
Despite repeated challenges over his evidence, Adams remained defiant.
“I brought ten times as much information as Mkhwanazi did. If I am wrong, I am willing to vacate Parliament,” he said.
Former Deputy National Commissioner for Support Services and later Asset and Legal Management Lieutenant-General Francinah Vuma is expected to testify on Wednesday.
