Alleged parly arsonist Zandile Mafe ‘has mental issues’

Alleged arsonist Zandile Christmas Mafe, who was charged with housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, two counts of arson, possession of an explosive device and destruction of an essential infrastructure, “had no idea what he was doing”, says an activist who runs a soup kitchen.

Mafe made headlines this week following his arrest in connection with the massive fire that broke out at parliament on Sunday.

According to the charge sheet, the state claimed Mafe “wrongfully and intentionally” placed and discharged “explosives, to whit, volatile liquid in containers in the parliament buildings” with the intent to cause damage.

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Following his appearance in court, Mafe was sarcastically labelled as an undercover former special operative with extensive training in explosives and combat rescue, who spent 15 years training with the Russian army and four years disarming explosives in China after pictures of him sleeping in the street outside parliament went viral on Twitter.

But activist Venetia Orgill, who feeds the homeless in the Cape Town CBD, said Mafe was a regular who went in and out of her line for the past three years, which explained why there was confusion around him being homeless.

“I would put my life on the line he is not involved,” Orgill said.

“He sleeps on the front side of parliament, by the wall. I have fed the homeless for a good 11 years at the Gardens and throughout my encounters with him I could tell he is mentally challenged.

“That guy has been in and out of my line for the past two to three years, so I have seen him many times and when I saw him in court I was very angry because I knew he had no idea what was happening.”

Originally from Mahikeng, Mafe appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday last week, where his case was postponed to Tuesday for further investigation.

He was allegedly found in possession of “laptops, crockery and documents” at the time of his arrest, according to the charge sheet, after apparently scaling the fence around parliament and climbing into the building through an open window.

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Why someone would steal “crockery” instead of valuable works of art has yet to be explained. Lawyer Luvuyo Godla dismissed all claims and said the 49 year old from Khayelitsha, Site B, was not even homeless and that Mafe was used as a “scapegoat” for failures of the executive and legislature.

“He is a person with a fixed address. He has been in the Western Cape for more than six years,” Godla said.

“For now, I don’t even have a cent. What compelled me to defend this chap is because he raised his hand. He does not have assets but that doesn’t make him a flight risk.”

Meanwhile, as many weighed in on Mafe’s case, former public protector Thuli Madonsela questioned, in a series of tweets, Mafe’s ability to arrange a private lawyer so quickly.

“I’ve been wondering how it was possible to quickly arrange a private lawyer for the homeless Zandile Mafe, thus removing him from state legal aid where there was risk of a confession,” she said.

“I’m curious what those who are 100% sure he is innocent know that we do not know. These fires – too many in strategic places – an uncomfortable coincidence that needs urgent attention.”

– reitumetsem@citizen.co.za