Suspect in South Africa’s Parliament Fireplace Is Despatched for Psychiatric Verify

JOHANNESBURG — The person suspected of setting hearth to South Africa’s Parliament buildings in Cape City was dedicated to a psychiatric hospital on Tuesday to find out whether or not he’s match to face trial on terrorism and different expenses.

In a courtroom listening to, prosecutors introduced written testimony from the government-appointed Cape City district surgeon who believes that the suspect, Zandile Christmas Mafe, has paranoid schizophrenia. It was the newest twist in a thriller surrounding the fireplace that ripped via the parliamentary complicated on Jan. 2.

Mr. Mafe, 49, appeared in courtroom clean-shaven and wearing a black go well with, a marked distinction from his bedraggled look throughout an preliminary courtroom listening to final week. However prosecutors mentioned that he may not be “compos mentis,” or totally sane.

“The courtroom noticed this morning, when he entered the courtroom, he circled, he gave the impression to be confused,” mentioned the prosecutor, Helene Booysen.

If Mr. Mafe is discovered mentally match to face trial, he’ll face expenses that embody terrorism, unlawful possession of explosives, arson, theft and burglary. His authorized crew has beforehand indicated that he intends to plead not responsible.

The police mentioned they noticed and arrested Mr. Mafe on the Parliament complicated shortly after the fireplace was reported on Jan. 2. Prosecutors mentioned he was caught with an explosive machine, stolen laptops, paperwork and crockery. He’s the one suspect within the destruction of the historic buildings that housed the Nationwide Meeting and the places of work of lawmakers, the governing African Nationwide Congress and several other opposition events.

On Tuesday, because the choose, Zamekile Mbalo, ordered Mr. Mafe dedicated to a psychiatric hospital in Cape City for 30 days, the suspect appeared visibly distressed. He shook his head backward and forward, respiration closely as he clutched his belongings in a procuring bag. His attorneys mentioned he would go on starvation strike to protest his continued detention.

“He’s not ready to commerce his liberty for meals,” mentioned Dali Mpofu, Mr. Mafe’s lawyer. His consumer wouldn’t settle for meals from a authorities that had uncared for him in poverty, he mentioned.

Mates have described Mr. Mafe as having been homeless and hungry after shedding his job at a bread manufacturing unit final 12 months.

Hypothesis in regards to the causes of the fireplace has been rife in South Africa, a rustic that’s nonetheless on edge after riots final July that resulted in additional than 300 deaths. Some critics of the federal government have argued that Mr. Mafe is a scapegoat for poor security requirements within the complicated. A authorities minister has mentioned he doesn’t imagine preliminary reporting describing the suspect as a vagrant.

Mr. Mafe’s lawyer, Mr. Mpofu, a former anti-apartheid activist and now a distinguished member of an opposition get together, has a repute for taking up politicized circumstances, together with defending a bunch of veterans accused of briefly holding the protection minister hostage throughout a gathering over unpaid advantages. Mr. Mpofu can be an lawyer for Jacob Zuma, the previous president, showing on his behalf to attraction his arrest on contempt of courtroom expenses final 12 months.

A preliminary report from Cape City’s hearth and rescue service confirmed that the buildings’ sprinkler system didn’t activate in the course of the blaze. It’s also unclear whether or not the fireplace alarm and detection system was activated, with officers saying the injury was too intensive for them to inform.

Mr. Mafe’s courtroom look occurred days after one other man was arrested in Johannesburg and accused of smashing the home windows of South Africa’s constitutional courtroom. The person gave no cause and has refused bail, however the timing of the episode simply after the fireplace, and coinciding with the publication of a wide-reaching report on corruption, has solely raised public suspicions in regards to the incidents.