National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams. (X/ @JustSecuCluster)
Fadiel Adams, the president of the National Coloured Congress and an MP, will remain behind bars.
When proceedings resumed on Wednesday in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court, Adams had hoped to secure bail but the matter was postponed.
He has spent a week in custody after being arrested on 4 May and charged with alleged interference in the high-profile assassination case of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa.
Before the commencement of the bail application, advocate Bruce Hendricks, who represented Adams during his first court appearance, informed Magistrate Wendalyn Robinson that he would be stepping down from the matter.
He said he and his client had agreed that for logistical reasons, it would be best to appoint a Durban-based legal representative, because the rest of the legal team were in Cape Town. Retired former state prosecutor Yuri Gangai subsequently took over the matter.
The state wasted no time in arguing that it would not be in the interests of justice for Adams, who also serves on parliament’s portfolio committee on police, to be released on bail.
In opposing bail, state prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba described Adams as a menace to society who had a blatant disregard for the rule of law. The prosecution also referred to racial and inflammatory social media posts allegedly shared by Adams.
“He knew from the 2nd of May that there was a warrant of his arrest but he did not stay in his two houses. Instead, he went and posted a video for the whole country to know that he can act better than Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford was a fugitive from justice in the movie.
He says: “That man, I’m better than him,” Gcaba submitted.
In one of several social media posts, Adams likened himself to Ford, the American actor who starred in the 1993 film, The Fugitive.
The state also took issue with another post in which Adams mockingly said: “These people with R150m budget cannot find me.”
Gcaba further told the court that although Adams had submitted through his lawyer that he owned a home, the title deed allegedly reflected only his wife’s name.
Gangai argued that his client would not evade justice or interfere with witnesses. He also said Adams was a family man and in poor health.
However, the state rebutted the claims, arguing that Adams had interfered with a state witness by repeatedly contacting him on WhatsApp and requesting an affidavit that had been submitted to investigators.
It also emerged in court that the Equality Court had previously ruled against Adams over social media posts directed at City of Cape Town manager Lungelo Mbandazayo, which were found to be racist.
“Lock me up. I won’t apologise to that p***,” Adams charged in one of the posts. This was after the Equality Court found against him and ordered him to apologise.
He also said: “The equality court finds that I’ve discriminated against the city manager who discriminated against us. F*** the court.”
Adams, 49, faces three counts of fraud and two counts of defeating the administration of justice.
The state alleges that on 2 November 2024 and 24 January 2025, Adams visited Westville Prison Correctional Centre, where he conducted two separate interviews with two awaiting-trial inmates.
One of the inmates was one Sibusiso Ncengwa, who was last year sentenced to 25 years in prison for the assassination of Magaqa after confessing to the hit, saying police and politicians were involved in the murder.
The state further alleges that Adams misrepresented himself to various authorities, including the South African Police Service, eThekwini Metro Police and officials at Westville Correctional Centre, by claiming he was conducting official parliamentary duties.
The state said he also secured an official escort from King Shaka International Airport to Westville Correctional Centre and back.
Adams also allegedly engaged with inmates without authorisation from the investigating team or the inmates’ legal representatives.
The visit was not sanctioned by parliament. The state also alleges Adams illegally obtained sensitive and classified state information.
The bail application continues on Friday.
