Fadiel Adams, a South African Member of Parliament and member of the Police Portfolio Committee, recently filed charges against four high-ranking South African Police Service (SAPS) officers. His charges target figures at the core of SAPS's crime intelligence unit, with allegations ranging from negligence and incompetence to nepotism and corruption.

This was revealed on a Facebook post on the 31st of October. Yesterday, Adams elaborated on his cause in an interview on BizNews, explaining that he had filed the charges both in Cape Town and Johannesburg, to compensate for the likelihood of the docket being lost, as is often the case with high-profile corruption cases.

Adams named Major General Lushaba, Major General Madondo, Brigadier Ncube, and Major General Khumalo as subjects of his charges. One of the incidents detailed involves General Lushaba, who allegedly had his state-issued service pistol, phone, and laptop stolen by a prostitute in August 2022. Adams alleges that rather than facing disciplinary action, Lushaba's equipment was quietly replaced using secret police funds—a sign, he argues, of institutionalized negligence and misuse of taxpayer money.

The issues of transparency and accountability have plagued SAPS. Adams revealed that he had to go to two police stations to file his charges because, at the first location, his docket mysteriously “disappeared”—an issue not uncommon in South Africa. Adams suspects deliberate interference and notes that most citizens would lack his resources to refile charges, implying systemic bias and corruption in handling cases against powerful individuals.

Adams is also vocal about SAPS’s alleged suppression of officers who resist corruption. He cited an encounter with a former task team officer, imprisoned for four years on charges Adams views as politically motivated. The officer had refused to arrest a local mayor due to insufficient evidence, allegedly at the behest of a senior SAPS officer acting under political pressure. Adams contends that the officer was subsequently targeted for his refusal, viewing this as indicative of a punitive culture within SAPS that marginalizes those who challenge its power structures. Adams argues that SAPS operates with the characteristics of a mafia, sustaining itself by leveraging “secret state funds” to eliminate threats and silence whistleblowers.

More surprisingly, Fadiel Adams alleges that Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis failed to act on serious corruption within the city’s law enforcement ranks. According to Adams, he presented Hill-Lewis with a recording of a senior law enforcement official attempting to offer a R40 million bribe to a key witness in a case. Adams claims he asked Hill-Lewis to investigate the origin and authorization of the bribe money but chose not to hand over the recording, citing mistrust.

Adams asserts that, instead of addressing the alleged corruption, Hill-Lewis later proposed a motion in the city council to use public funds to cover the legal costs of the implicated official, who was subsequently arrested on separate charges of obstructing justice. Adams also contends that Hill-Lewis misrepresented facts related to a forensic report exposing R349 million in fraud, dismissing it publicly as minor lapses rather than severe irregularities. These accusations reflect broader concerns Adams has raised about the mayor’s handling of accountability in Cape Town’s governance.

In his closing remarks, Adams expressed his willingness to pursue justice regardless of personal or professional consequences. He has been advised of potential retaliation, such as smear campaigns and fabricated charges, yet remains resolute. "If good police officers are locked up for refusing to follow illegal orders, then there is no hope for integrity within SAPS,” he stated. Adams’s mission, he says, is to expose the depth of rot within South Africa’s police force and challenge what he sees as a lack of accountability at the highest levels. His crusade against SAPS’s leadership has positioned him as a polarizing figure, as he calls for systemic reform to salvage what he views as a deeply compromised institution.

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