Suspect of South African parliament fire intends to cow president by 'terrorist' attack

CAPE TOWN -- Zandile Christmas Mafe, the suspect accused of setting fire to South Africa's parliament in January, intended to intimidate President Cyril Ramaphosa into resignation by his "terrorist activity," said an indictment released on Thursday.

The case was transferred to the high court in Cape Town for a pre-trial conference on Aug 12, 2022, after a public prosecutor handed over the indictment to Mafe during his brief appearance in Cape Town Magistrate's Court.

The indictment charged the 49-year-old of housebreaking with intent to commit arson and arson, terrorism, and theft.

Mafe was also accused of intending to disrupt Ramaphosa's annual State of the Nation Address, which eventually took place in the historic City Hall of Cape Town, after the chamber of National Assembly, the lower house, was completely destroyed by the fire.

Mafe's move aimed to "advance the accused's individual political and/or ideological and/or philosophical motives, objectives, causes or undertakings," the indictment said.

The parliament fire starting on the morning of Jan. 2 lasted more than 70 hours, severely damaging the National Assembly building, causing extensive damage to the century-old Old Assembly building that houses the National Council of Provinces, the upper house.

According to the public prosecutor, Mafe sprinkled petrol over items like cardboard boxes, paper and office chairs and used them to set alight the Old Assembly, before lighting bits of paper by matches to set fire to the National Assembly.