Johannesburg, Jan 11, (dpa/GNA) – A week after a major fire destroyed parts of South Africa’s parliament, prosecutors leveled further charges against a suspect.
The man who was arrested during the fire in parliament has now been charged with terrorism, the prosecution said on Tuesday, after a hearing before an examining magistrate.
The man is also accused of illegally gaining access to the building and setting fire to it. Explosives were found in his possession.
His mental health will now be assessed and he is due to appear before the examining magistrate again on February 11. According to his lawyer, the man denies all charges and has threatened to go on hunger strike.
The hours-long inferno in South Africa’s parliament building destroyed the National Assembly chamber, while other parts of the complex were badly damaged. The cause of the blaze has not yet been fully clarified.
The representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced, that investigations would continue, and did not rule out further charges being brought against the suspect.
According to initial estimates, the cost of rebuilding the historic building is likely to be enormous.
Among other things, the flames also destroyed numerous offices of members of parliament. Cape Town’s mayor has offered the 400 or so parliamentarians, replacement rooms in the city hall and convention center.
Cape Town has been the seat of the South African parliament, consisting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, for more than a century.
GNA