Zandile Mafe Being Used as Scapegoat in Parliament Fire – Lawyer
The lawyer for the man accused of setting Parliament on fire said his client was being used as a scapegoat.
Zandile Mafe made a brief appearance in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Tuesday facing five charges including arson, possession of explosives, housebreaking, theft and destruction of essential infrastructure relating to the incident.
The blaze which has caused extensive damages started at Parliament during the early hours of Sunday morning.
Mafe’s lawyer Luvuyo Godla has stressed his clients innocence and believes he should have been granted bail .
“Our submission is this, surely this poor man is made a scapegoat for failures of executive and legislature. There is no point to come and say we are not ready when in fact they allege that the most important point of the country has been destroyed, yet they didn’t do anything.”
The State was granted a seven-day postponement to verify bail information and to inspect the crime scene with Mafe remanded in custody.
