A man suspected of having started the fire that ravaged South Africa’s parliament on the 2nd was charged with the crime of terrorism on Tuesday in a court hearing in which the prosecution revealed that he suffers from schizophrenia.
The suspect, 49-year-old Zandile Christmas Mafe, was arrested on the same day as the crime. On 4 January he was taken to the Cape Town Court of First Instance, where the Parliament is also located.
Mafe was then formally charged with possession of explosives, trespassing, theft and arson at a site of national importance, but pleaded not guilty.
However, the Public Ministry today added the charge of violating the Law on the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorism and Related Activities.
According to the indictment, Mafe “delivered, placed, discharged or unlawfully detonated an explosive or other lethal device in, in or against a place of public use, a state or government facility, i.e. the Parliament building, for the purpose of , among others, to cause substantial damage to or destroy such a site”.
The accused appeared in court for a second time today, where the prosecution revealed that he underwent a psychiatric evaluation after his arrest and that doctors concluded that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
The prosecution wants Mafe to be examined at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital in Cape Town to determine his fitness to stand trial.
Defense lawyer Dali Mpofu, one of South Africa’s best known, asked for Mafe’s parole and said the suspect intended to go on hunger strike if he remained in custody any longer.
The court set the next hearing for February 11 and ordered Mafe to remain detained at a psychiatric care center.
Firefighters left the South African parliament building last week after working for three days to put out the blaze.
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