National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader and Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams has returned to the Pinetown Regional Court, where he faces charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice.
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Why is Fadiel Adams going to court?
Adams appeared in court today, 11 September 2026, in connection with allegations that he unlawfully gained access to inmates at Westville Prison and conducted interviews with them while their criminal cases were still before the courts.
The State has charged Adams with three counts of fraud and two counts of defeating the ends of justice.
Prosecutors allege that he misrepresented himself to gain access to the prison, where he secretly interviewed and recorded inmates linked to investigations into the 2017 murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa.
ENCA reports that the matter was previously heard in the Pinetown Magistrates’ Court before being transferred to the Regional Court after the State indicated that its investigations had been completed. Adams was granted R10,000 bail following his arrest in May.
According to EWN, Adams’ alleged conduct involved visits to two awaiting-trial inmates at Westville Prison in November 2024 and January 2025, during which he allegedly conducted audio-recorded interviews without authorisation from prison officials. Both inmates have since been convicted of killing ANC politicians.
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NCC leader maintains his innocence
Adams has disputed the State’s characterisation of his actions, saying, “He had been acting on information from a whistleblower concerning alleged wrongdoing within the South African Police Service’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).”
EWN reports that the State has indicated that its investigations are complete and that relevant documents have been handed to Adams’ legal team.
His appearance today was part of the process leading towards a trial, with the matter expected to proceed through a pre-trial conference.
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