Parliament arson accused Zandile Mafe is demanding coffee, a kettle, a flat-screen TV, and a radio for his cell at Pollsmoor Prison. 

This emerged when he again did not pitch for his pre-trial hearing in the Western Cape High Court on Friday, to the dismay of his lawyer, Luvuyo Godla.

"Briefly, my lord, we have a problem," said Godla, in his unhurried and measured way of speaking.

"Mr Mafe has got some complaints."

Mafe did not come to court at his last pre-trial date.

An orderly said Mafe was lying on his back, in his pyjamas, saying he was on a hunger strike because he was unhappy about how his trial was being handled.  

Mafe is accused of starting a catastrophic fire, which gutted the National Assembly building on 2 January this year. 

He intends pleading not guilty to charges of housebreaking with intent to commit arson, as well as arson, infringement of the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Other Related Activities Act; alternatively, discharge or detonation of an explosive or lethal device, and theft. 

READ | Parliament fire: Accused arrives in court holding cells in pyjamas and on hunger strike

Godla said Mafe was demanding some items of necessity for his cell in Pollsmoor. 

He wants coffee, a kettle and a radio to listen to the news. After the matter, Godla told the media that Mafe also wants a flat-screen TV.

"He complains that the water is very cold for a bath [at Pollsmoor]," said Godla, while some of the lawyers present chortled quietly into their frilly white bibs.There have been three meetings at Pollsmoor over these requests, and it has already been a hard 'no' to the kettle. "Due to incidents of inmates burning each other," said Godla. 

Mafe is also angry about delays regarding his leave to appeal the refusal of bail.  

"I want to distance myself from this conduct because I am trying to be patient with him," said Godla. 

Judge Matthew Frances told Godla that Mafe could not "willy nilly" decide whether he would appear in court or not, considering that he was instructed to appear in court. 

Godla agreed and said he was worried that this might hamper Mafe's chances of winning an appeal for bail. 

He said he had also not been able to verify whether Mafe did indeed go on a hunger strike, as claimed, but he would visit him at Pollsmoor to get an update on the situation. 

His feeling was that Friday's turn of events was linked to the demands.

READ | Parliament fire: Mafe's startling claims against Ramaphosa and Cabinet ministers

He assured Frances that advocate Dali Mpofu would fly to Cape Town to help deal with the situation. 

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the State had already handed over all the documents Mafe needed for his defence.

"Senior State advocate Mervyn Menigo was informed by the head of court orderlies that Mafe refused to get out of his prison cell at Pollsmoor Prison. No reasons were provided for this action," said Ntabazalila.

He added that Menigo again applied for the proceedings to continue, in Mafe's absence, as allowed in the Criminal Procedure Act.

"Menigo told the court that the State has provided the defence with everything they need to prepare for trial. Godla confirmed that,"

The matter was postponed to 4 November, the eve of the British Guy Fawkes commemoration of an attempt to blow up their Parliament. 

In the meantime, the corridors were abuzz with jokes about prisoners getting coffee and kettles. 

"I wonder if he wants filtered," joked one person.

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