Cape Town – National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams has admitted he made a “really stupid mistake” after Parliament suspended him for 20 parliamentary days for publishing the personal contact details of a DA staff member on Facebook.
Parliament found that Adams breached its Code of Ethical Conduct by sharing a screenshot of an internal email that revealed the staff member’s phone number, The Citizen reported.
He was reprimanded in the House, ordered to apologise, suspended from parliamentary debates and committee meetings for 20 parliamentary days, and will forfeit his salary and allowances for the duration of the suspension.
“The committee found that the publication improperly disclosed personal information and recommended that Mr Adams be reprimanded in the House, apologise to the House, be suspended from parliamentary debates and committee meetings for 20 parliamentary days, and have his salary and allowances reduced for the same period,” said Parliament, according to the report.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday evening, Adams accepted responsibility for his actions.
“I have apologised loudly and profusely. It was an incredibly stupid mistake,” he said.
Adams explained that the post related to a motion his party had submitted calling for national government intervention in the City of Cape Town over 27 firearms that allegedly went missing and were not reported for almost a decade.
He said the DA had objected to the motion, and when he shared the objection email on social media, he failed to remove the staff member’s contact details.
However, Adams dismissed suggestions that his suspension was linked to the Madlanga Commission, where his name has surfaced following complaints he lodged against Crime Intelligence officials.
The sanctions, he said, were solely related to the Facebook post and not the commission’s ongoing proceedings.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
