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The man accused of setting Parliament on fire has once again refused to attend court proceedings.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says 50-year-old Zandile Mafe refused again on Friday to come out of his Pollsmoor Prison cell to attend the pre-trial conference at the High Court in Cape Town.
NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says he did not furnish any reasons or make any demands but just refused to come out of his cell.
He says it is the third time that Mafe has pulled this stunt.
Mafu's legal representative, Luvuyo Godla, told the court that he too was surprised when his client did not appear as he never indicated this during their consultation earlier this week.
Ntabazalila says at Mafe's first pretrial conference, he refused to come out of the holding cells of the high court, telling court orderlies that he was on hunger strike and was dragged out of his bed at Pollsmoor Prison while dressed in pyjamas.
At the second pre-trial conference, he refused to leave his prison cell demanding that he be allowed to have a television set, a radio, and a kettle, as he wanted to listen and watch the news.
All parties agreed to postpone the matter in order to persuade Mafe to appear in court to that he could be sent for mental observation.
The next pre-trial conference is scheduled for the 10th of February.
Mafe is facing several charges including two counts of arson, theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, contravention of the explosives act, destruction of essential infrastructure and terrorism, which is a scheduled 6 offence.
Last year, the court heard that Mafe was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
