A man accused of burning the South African Parliament in 2022 has been declared unfit to stand trial.
The Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus, while delivering his ruling on Monday, December 11 described Zandile Mafe as delusional.
Judge Erasmus added that the 50-year-old showed signs of having hallucinations and his speech was disorganised after being admitted to a facility for a mental assessment.
“I am in the finding that Mr Mafe is not capable of understanding the proceedings so as to make a proper defence and therefore my finding is in concurrence with the experts that [he] is unfit to stand trial,” said the judge.
Schizophrenia spectrum disorder
Mafe was observed from March 29 to May 24 at Fort England Psychiatric Hospital in the Eastern Cape.
Dr Thupana Seshoka was the lead medical expert for the period of observation. He told the court that Mafe should be admitted to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital to receive treatment and rehabilitation after finding that he suffered from schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Mafe was arrested in January 2, 2022 when firefighters were still battling the fire that damaged the historic Parliament complex in Cape Town.
Zandile Mafe: ‘I want a life sentence’
In a previous court hearing, Mafe has admitted to starting the blaze in protest against Parliament, the local government in Cape Town and the national government for “failed South Africa’s people.”
“I burn it [Parliament] intentionally. I am going to burn it more if it doesn’t move to Bloemfontein or Pretoria,” he said.
At the time, he even demanded the judge to sentence him to life imprisonment.
He is facing terrorism and arson charges.
