A compelling profile of National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams from Mitchells Plain riots to national parliament, how a single ‘gatvol’ moment drove a Cape activist into the political arena
Introduction
What drives someone to turn personal pain into political action? For Fadiel Adams, the leader of the National Coloured Congress (NCC), it was a moment of overwhelming frustration what he later described as a “war zone” that transformed him from an ordinary citizen into a political figure determined to challenge the status quo.
Early Life and Personal Struggles
Born in Retreat, Cape Town, in June 1976, Adams grew up in a working-class household. One of six siblings, he was raised by a father who worked in construction and a mother who earned a living as a seamstress. Like many youths in South Africa’s townships, Adams faced multiple challenges. He left school before completing Grade 11 and later fell into drug addiction.
For several years, he lived on the streets, facing the harsh realities of addiction and poverty. But by his thirties, Adams had turned his life around. He overcame addiction, found steady work as a tiler and plumber, and became an active presence in his community. His personal transformation would soon be mirrored by a political awakening.
The Turning Point: Gatvol and Ready for Action
In 2018, tensions escalated between residents of Mitchells Plain and nearby informal settlements. Adams’s younger brother was arrested during a confrontation between community members and police. As Adams searched police stations looking for his sibling, he became increasingly frustrated with the lack of information, justice, and accountability.
That frustration erupted during an impromptu interview with a journalist. His words raw, emotional, and unfiltered struck a chord with many South Africans. He spoke of exclusion, poverty, and systemic neglect. The moment became a viral sensation, capturing what many in his community felt but hadn’t voiced.
“It was a war zone,” Adams said of that night referring not just to physical violence, but to the emotional, psychological, and systemic warfare waged on marginalized communities. That phrase would come to define the origin story of a new political force.
Gatvol Capetonian: A Movement is Born
Out of that viral moment grew a new grassroots movement: Gatvol Capetonian. The word “gatvol”a colloquial Afrikaans term meaning “fed up”perfectly described the mood of many Coloured South Africans, who felt ignored by policymakers, sidelined in the economy, and invisible in national discourse.
Under Adams’s leadership, Gatvol Capetonian began mobilizing communities across the Western Cape. They organized marches, community meetings, and campaigns to demand improved housing, equal access to social services, and recognition of the historical and cultural identity of Coloured South Africans.
The movement quickly gained traction. It wasn’t based on ideology, but on lived experience. People responded to Adams’s authenticity his ability to speak plainly, his refusal to back down, and his deep roots in the very communities he sought to represent.
From Movement to Party: Birth of the NCC
By 2020, the energy behind Gatvol Capetonian had evolved into a formal political structure. Adams and his supporters launched the Cape Coloured Congress, which later became the National Coloured Congress. The goal was clear: take the frustrations voiced in the streets and bring them into the halls of power.
In local elections, the party surprised many by securing seats in Cape Town and Saldanha Bay. Adams was elected to the city council and quickly became a vocal critic of policies that he saw as neglecting working-class and Coloured communities.
The rebranding to “National” Coloured Congress reflected an ambition to expand the party’s reach beyond the Western Cape. It was a strategic move, positioning the party as a national platform for those who felt politically homeless in a landscape dominated by larger, often disconnected, political institutions.
Principles and Policy Positions
The NCC under Adams has outlined a platform focused on dignity, justice, and visibility. Among its key positions:
- Recognition of Coloured South Africans as First Nation descendants with a unique cultural and historical identity.
- Advocacy for equal access to public services, including education, housing, and healthcare.
- Targeted bursaries and job creation programs for historically marginalized communities.
- A strong stance against gender-based violence and abuse.
- Calls for reform of sex education in schools to align more closely with community values.
- Support for the reinstatement of the death penalty in cases of murder and rape.
These positions, though at times controversial, reflect a consistent message: Coloured South Africans must be seen, heard, and respected within the national framework.
“It Was a War Zone”: More Than Just a Metaphor
When Adams described the situation in 2018 as “a war zone,” he wasn’t exaggerating. But the war wasn’t just about riot police and barricades it was about decades of economic neglect, educational disparities, and the erosion of community trust.
Adams uses that phrase to explain what it feels like to grow up in communities where children have few role models, where opportunities are scarce, and where state services feel more like punishments than lifelines.
That war zone, for him, was a battleground of identity, recognition, and survival. It became the fuel for a political fire that continues to burn.
Leadership by Example
Adams is not a polished politician. He doesn’t speak in rehearsed soundbites or corporate slogans. His language is direct. His tone is emotional. His mannerisms reflect a man who has lived the life he talks about.
He often references his own past his failures, his addictions, his poverty as proof that anyone can change. He’s not asking for pity; he’s demanding respect. And in doing so, he connects with voters in ways few other leaders can.
He refuses to apologize for being passionate. “I speak from the heart,” he often says. That authenticity, though occasionally getting him into hot water, has been central to his appeal.
Facing Criticism and Controversy
Adams has faced criticism for being too confrontational or for using inflammatory language. In at least one instance, he was taken to court over remarks that were found to constitute hate speech. He publicly apologized and committed to focusing on more constructive dialogue.
Others have accused him of playing identity politics. But Adams pushes back against such claims. For him, representation is not exclusion. It’s about ensuring that communities long ignored by government are finally given a voice and a seat at the table.
He remains undeterred by political backlash, arguing that true change only comes when leaders are willing to take risks and confront uncomfortable truths.
A New Chapter: Entering National Parliament
In 2024, the National Coloured Congress contested national elections and secured two seats in the National Assembly. Adams was one of the elected MPs.
He called it a victory not for himself, but for every child who ever felt invisible in their own country. The parliamentary seat, he said, was not just a chair in Cape Town it was a platform to advocate, to question, and to demand better.
He promised to use his position to amplify the needs of communities that continue to fall through the cracks of post-apartheid South Africa. For Adams, Parliament is not an end point it’s the beginning of a broader movement for justice and dignity.
Restoring Trust in Politics
A recurring theme in Adams’s speeches is the alienation of young people from politics. He believes voter apathy is one of the biggest threats to South Africa’s future.
Too many young Coloured South Africans, he argues, have lost faith in politics because they’ve never seen it improve their lives. He wants to change that by being present in communities, by listening, and by delivering.
He understands that restoring trust is not about speeches it’s about action. And that’s what he’s determined to offer.
Looking Ahead: What Comes Next?
Adams’s vision for the future is both ambitious and grounded in realism. He knows that change won’t come overnight. But he believes that it starts with acknowledgment with admitting that certain communities have been neglected and taking tangible steps to rectify that injustice.
He wants to see:
- Education systems that reflect cultural diversity and inclusion.
- Job creation that prioritizes skill development in under-resourced areas.
- Infrastructure that serves the needs of all citizens, not just those in affluent suburbs.
- A government that is accountable, responsive, and transparent.
Above all, he wants to inspire a new generation of leaders people who, like him, come from the very streets they seek to serve.
Conclusion
Fadiel Adams’s rise from the streets of Retreat to the benches of Parliament is not just a personal triumphit’s a political statement. It says that ordinary people, even those with difficult pasts, can shape the future. It says that frustration can lead to transformation. And it says that when someone calls their world a “war zone,” we should listen because they may just be preparing for battle in the name of justice.
In a country still healing from deep divisions, Adams stands as a reminder that healing begins with recognition, and that recognition begins with truth. His story is far from over, but his journey so far offers a powerful lesson: leadership can emerge from the margins and change can begin with a single, honest voice saying, “We’ve had enough.”
For further insight into Fadiel Adams’s political trajectory, read this in-depth profile:
Party Crasher: ‘It was a war zone’ — Fadiel Adams on the moment he got into politics
