zANDILE mAFE

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – JANUARY 11: Zandile Christmas Mafe (49) appears at Cape Town Magistrate Court in connection with the fire at Parliament on January 11, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. It is reported that the suspect was facing five charges including arson, theft, housebreaking and contravention of the National Key Points Act. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)

‘A dire existence’: More details about Zandile Mafe’s private life emerge

Zandile Mafe’s lifestyle and the difficulties he faces daily were scrutinised this weekend – after the Parliament fire suspect revealed all.

zANDILE mAFE

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – JANUARY 11: Zandile Christmas Mafe (49) appears at Cape Town Magistrate Court in connection with the fire at Parliament on January 11, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. It is reported that the suspect was facing five charges including arson, theft, housebreaking and contravention of the National Key Points Act. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)

Zandile Mafe, the man accused of burning down Parliament at the start of January, is continuing the fight to clear his name this week. The defendant has had his bail hearing postponed, and he’s trying to get his referral to a mental health facility declared null and void. Over the weekend, we learned a thing or two about the Khayelitsha resident.

Update: Zandile Mafe has since tested positive for COVID-19…

What we know about Zandile Mafe and his ‘private life’

In a sworn affidavit, Zandile Mafe shared all the details about his early life, his time in the Western Cape, and just how ‘dire’ his existence has been in the face of persistent poverty and hunger:

  • He was born on 24 December 1972 in Mahikeng, North West, as one of three children.
  • His step-mother didn’t work, his dad was a security guard, and the family’s financial situation was ‘difficult’.
  • Zandile Mafe left school in Grade 11, and move to the Western Cape for ‘work opportunities’.
  • However, the 49-year-old failed to secure a stable job, due to his lack of education.
  • Mafe says he makes ends meet by carrying grocery bags for shoppers, in exchange for small tips.
  • Money is so tight, the man opts to sleep rough in Cape Town ‘very often’, instead of returning home to Khayelitsha.
  • Zandile Mafe says he returns home to change his clothing and ensure the shack’s safety.
  • He has also identified Parliament as ‘one of his favourite spots to sleep at’ – giving this account of his arrest:

“I had been sleeping outside the precinct of the building known as the South African Parliament (‘Parliament’), and was woken up by members of the South African Police Services (‘SAPS’). I then noticed for the first time that the large Parliament building was ablaze with black smoke escaping from the roof.”

“SAPS dragged me into the precinct of Parliament where I was given boxes to carry by officers, which I’d never seen before. I was then taken to Cape Town Central Police Station, accused of starting the fire. A few hours later, I was taken to an unknown place. Out of fear, I promised to cooperate with the investigation.”

Zandile Mafe

Hunger strike continues for Parliament fire suspect

Mafe is currently on hunger strike at Valkenberg Hospital. However, his legal team hope to have him out of the facility by Tuesday, despite the state diagnosing him as a paranoid schizophrenic last week.

The middle-aged citizen has proclaimed his sanity, but says that a forced incarceration at a mental facility could end up leaving him ‘disturbed’. Zandile Mafe has also rejected the charge of terrorism recently added to his rap sheet.

“I am not a terrorist. I am an ordinary and destitute South African like millions of my fellow citizens. Like them I am angry about my conditions but I am not a violent man. I am also not insane. If I am kept further in cruel custody, I may as well become disturbed and the state will have achieved a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

“I now have food and water by the state, all at the expense of my liberty. As a result I have decided to embark on a hunger strike, if necessary, to the death. I will not be further humiliated beyond my miserable life up to now.”

Zandile Mafe