The pre-trial hearing of the alleged Parliament arsonist, Zandile Mafe has been postponed yet again in the Western Cape High Court on Friday. Mafe would not leave his prison cell at Pollsmoor Correctional facility to attend the hearing in court.
Mafe’s legal representative told the court that his client demanded items such as a kettle that he did not get. He also expressed his dissatisfaction at the amount of time it’s taking to get a date at the Supreme Court of Appeals for his bail hearing. In yet another strange court proceeding in the Mafe case, the accused simply refused to come to the court.
Luvuyo Godla, Mafe’s legal representative, told the court his client demanded a television, radio and a kettle to make coffee and take hot baths. He was denied a kettle and TV but it was agreed that he may get a small radio.
Godla told the court that Mafe is also not satisfied with the long wait for his bail application to be heard. The attorney distanced himself from his client’s actions, saying this would reflect badly on Mafe for bail. Godla says he suspects Mafe’s refusal to come to court is to show his disdain with not getting what he wanted.
“I do not think he knows the repercussions and the implications of what he is doing but as a legal representative I definitely need to alert him on those things. I would not as well assume that he disrespects the court. Maybe it’s a way of expressing himself, obvious we differ with people, looking at ordinary people might not know the implications of what he is doing. I’m quite sure that it is not as a result of disrespecting the court but it’s showing his dissatisfaction but that has got a certain interpretation so I will speak with him because it’s jeopardising now his bail by what he is doing,” says Godla.
The state was also surprised at hearing Mafe will yet again be a no show. At the previous court date, Mafe made it to court but refused to leave the holding cells, lying on the floor in pyjamas claiming he was on a hunger strike. The state says it’s ready to go to trial.
“We were informed this morning by the chief of court that the accused did refuse to come out of his prison cell, there were no reasons provided then. It’s only now that we heard from his legal representatives the reasons behind him refusing to come out of his cell. We managed to proceed with the pre-trial, it’s been now postponed to the 4th of November as it has been confirmed that we managed to give everything, everything to the defence to start preparing themselves for trial,” says NPA Western Cape’s Eric Ntabazalila.
Godla says that he and Advocate Dali Mpofu, who are representing Mafe in the matter, will meet with the accused next week to have a serious discussion. The matter has been postponed to the 4th of November.
Mafe is facing several charges including house breaking with intent to commit terrorism, two counts of arson and theft. He was arrested on the 2nd of January after a fire destroyed large parts of Parliament.
VIDEO: Zandile Mafe pre-trial sitting postponed to the 4th of November 2022:
