The Cape Town Regional Court has denied bail by the alleged Parliament arson accused, Zandile Mafe.
Mafe was arrested on January 2, the day a devastating fire damaged the National Assembly and Old Assembly Chamber in Cape Town.
His defence asserted that he was innocent and was being used as a scapegoat. Mafe faces charges of housebreaking with the intent to commit arson and terrorism, theft, arson as well as a separate terrorism charge.
Following his arrest, the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court referred him for psychiatric evaluation. His defence challenged it and went to the Western Cape High Court, which ruled that the decision that he be admitted to the Valkenbeg Psychiatric Facility was unlawful.
He had to be discharged and sent back to prison. Mafe’s bail bid was meant to be heard a week ago but he contracted COVID-19 and the matter had to be postponed.