Parliament disputes Adams’ claim of faulty laptop over 18 months

Parliament has challenged claims made by National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams about persistent problems with his Parliament-issued laptop, saying its records do not support the account given before the Madlanga Commission.

Adams appeared before the commission on Tuesday, where he attributed delays in accessing correspondence from the inquiry to problems with his parliamentary laptop.

He told the commission that the laptop had been problematic for approximately 18 months, was frequently frozen or undergoing repairs, and that this had affected his ability to access information.

Parliament said it would ordinarily not comment on explanations provided by a member during proceedings before a commission of inquiry.

However, it said clarification was necessary because Adams’ testimony could create the impression that Parliament had failed over an extended period to provide him with functional tools of trade required to perform his constitutional responsibilities.

Following his remarks, Parliament reviewed its ICT Service Desk records relating to technical support provided to Adams during the period in question.

According to Parliament, the records do not show any reported incident involving persistent laptop malfunction, hardware failure, repeated freezing or the laptop being repeatedly submitted for repairs.

Instead, the ICT records mainly reflect routine user-access and account-support matters.

These included a Windows password reset in January 2025, an ERP/Marang password reset in June 2025, assistance with logging into a device in July 2025, a Wi-Fi update in January 2026 and an ERP/Marang eDisclosure-related request in June 2026.

Parliament said all of these matters were logged through its ICT Service Desk and subsequently closed.

It stressed that password resets, authentication or login difficulties and connectivity configuration issues are routine ICT support matters and differ materially from a device being technically dysfunctional or unavailable 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,” Parliament said.

The institution also pointed out that its provision of tools of trade to MPs is not limited to a single laptop.

Members are provided with multiple ICT devices, including a laptop, tablet and smartphone, to support continuity of access and enable them to perform their parliamentary responsibilities.

Parliament said established ICT support channels are available for members to report technical problems, allowing incidents to be logged, diagnosed and resolved.

It added that alternative Parliament-issued devices are available to provide continuity of access while a particular device is being attended to.

Parliament emphasised that its statement was limited to its own ICT and administrative records and should not be interpreted as commenting on the substance of Adams’ evidence before the Madlanga Commission.

The commission will ultimately consider and assess the evidence presented during its proceedings.