Zandile Mafe, the famous alleged ‘homeless arsonist’ was accused on started the fire that shook South Africa – Parliament fire. Now, he has spoken up, with plans to sue the State for damages.
Mafe appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court today, January 29 for a formal bail hearing.
According to EWN, he took to the witness stand declaring his intention to plead not guilty during his terrorism and arson trial.
He reportedly emphasised that he was not guilty of the severe charges.
It was asked whether he would still intend to pursue his lawsuit f he ran away. This question was posed by Mafe’s counsel Advocate Dali Mpofu as IOL reports.
Mafe reportedly expressed that if he were to lodge a lawsuit there wouldn’t be a reason to run away.
He further asked the State to provide him with a social grant to support himself while out on bail, as EWN concludes.
This ties to Mafe’s conclusion that it will be very difficult to get a job since he is now infamously known.
Of the confusion surrounding contradictions between him being homeless and having a residence at Khayelitsha, further reports and footage indicate Mafe’s expenses and conclude that his travel costs sometimes led him to sleep on the streets in certain areas of Cape Town, thus depicting him as homeless despite his residence in Khayelitsha. During the hearing, his interpreter explained that he has to go home every few days “so that the people don’t see I’m not always there.”
Mafe was arrested swiftly and shortly after the Parliament fire on January 2.
Also read:
Zandile Mafe – the man who did it, the myth or the scape-goat?
Picture: Cape {town} Etc Gallery