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Zandile Mafe, 49, had already been charged with arson in
connection with the fire that started on Jan. 2, but the
additional charge of terrorism was added because he had also
been caught with an explosive device, the prosecution said.
The blaze caused the roof of the newer part of the building to
collapse, and also damaged the Old Wing dating back to 1884,
when the Cape was under British colonial rule.
Built in the ornate Victorian neo-classical style, against the
backdrop of Table Mountain, the stately red-and-white parliament
building is also one of Cape Town's tourist draws.
Some sections containing important heritage, like a museum with
artworks, were saved, however.
The case was adjourned until Feb. 11 and Mafe ordered to be
detained in a psychiatric institute, after pleas from his
defence council that he suffers from mental illness. Dozens of
protesters gathered outside the court building in central Cape
Town, saying Mafe was innocent.
South Africa's parliament has played a crucial role in South
Africa's transition over the past three decades from
undemocratic white minority rule to a place where highly
progressive legislation has been passed, helping roll back
repressive apartheid-era policies.
(Reporting by Shafiek Tassiem; Writing by Tim Cocks, Editing by
William Maclean)
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