Staff Reporter.
Alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Christmas Mafe will spend Christmas in jail after his pre-trial hearing was postponed to 27 January 2023.
Mafe made a brief appearance at the Western Cape High Court on Friday morning.
During Mafe’s court appearance on Friday, his lawyer Luvuyo Godla requested that the pre-trial hearing be postponed because he wanted to consult his client on the contents of a memory stick and the State’s latest bid to conduct another psychiatric evaluation.
Earlier this year in May, the Western Cape High Court set aside the State’s previous psychiatric evaluation by a district surgeon that had diagnosed Mafe with paranoid schizophrenia.
The high court found that the referral was “substantively and procedurally flawed” and resulted in “a gross irregularity”.
NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says the matter has been postponed for the defence to consult with Mafe.
“Godla, the lawyer, did indicate to our council there are mental challenges with their client. Now it looks like we might go back to that application which we made for the lower courts for him to be sent for observation and they say they are considering our application.”
The 49-year-old has been in custody since January, since he was arrested in connection with the Parliament fire on 2 January 2022, which destroyed the Old and New Assembly buildings.
Mafe faces four charges relating to the fire that destroyed parliament in January this year.
At the same time, Mafe is appealing the dismissal of his bail application at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).