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Parliament fire accused Zandile Mafe’s bail application postponed to Friday
Alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Mafe said he intends to sue the state.
Zandile Christmas Mafe during an earlier appearance at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on 11 January 2022 in connection with the fire at Parliament. Picture: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach
Zandile Mafe, the alleged Parliament arsonist, will know on Friday whether his bail application is successful.
On Saturday, Mafe’s hearing at the Cape Town Regional Court was suspended.
State Prosecutor Mervyn Menigo said that Mafe had admitted to setting Parliament alight. Menigo said he did it because he wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign and he also wanted Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus to be released from prison.
Defence advocate Dali Mpofu, however, said that information had not been authenticated and accused the state of wanting to create sensation.
Opposing Mafe’s bail, Menigo said he was a flight risk as well as being a danger to himself and society. Mafe had earlier refuted that he was a flight risk.
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Mafe intends to sue government
Earlier on Saturday, Mafe said he intends to sue the state for the reputational damage caused to him.
He also said he will plead not guilty to all six charges he is facing, which includes one count of terrorism.
“I am not guilty but I do accept that the are serious charges,” Mafe said.
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Explaining why he went on a hunger strike while in prison, Mafe accused the government of failing to feed him while he was on the streets, but now wanted to give him food.
“Why does the state want to feed me now in custody?” he asked.
Living on the street
The 49-year-old also refuted claims that he is mentally ill.
Explaining why he sometimes slept in the streets, Mafe said he went to Cape Town CBD in order to find casual work.
“As a poor and unemployed man, I had to sleep anywhere, like the people who sleep at the [Cape Town] City Hall, just to cover my head,” he said.
“After three or four days I have to go back to my place in Khayelitsha so that the people don’t see I am not always there… so that my stuff cannot be stolen,” he added.
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Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa
