Suspected arsonist remanded for psychiatric evaluation

The Cape Town magistrates court has remanded alleged parliament fire arsonist Zandile Mafe to a mental institution for observation for a period of up to 30 days to established if he is fit to stand trail. This after the State provided evidence that the accused suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. The 49 year old was arrested on January 2 2022, near the parliamentary prescient after a devastating fire had broken out in parliament.The official cause of the blaze has not yet been established, but the state has charged Mafe with 2 counts of arson, possession of an explosive device, destruction of essential infrastructure and now a schedule 6 charge of contravening the Terrorist Act.