PRETORIA - The 36-year-man arrested for malicious damage to property at the Constitutional Court appeared briefly before the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on Friday.
Carrying a backpack and wearing camouflage shorts, the suspect first sat down before he stretched out a hand for sanitiser offered by a police officer.
All eyes were on the man who allegedly ignored warning shots fired by the police while allegedly smashing windows at the Constitutional Court on Wednesday morning.
Paul Makaula who is charged with damaging windows at the #ConstitutionalCourt appearing in court pic.twitter.com/vO4L8P3awb
— Zama Mvulane (@_ZamaMvulane) January 7, 2022
Paul Makaula, the suspect, remained silent and expressionless as the court heard he was out on parole for a 2010 murder conviction when he allegedly committed the offence.
The suspect, who was released on parole in 2019, was remanded in custody after his matter was postponed to 25 March to allow for further investigations.
In a statement, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Louw-Mjonondwane said investigations were continuing, and other charges could be added related to contravening the National Key Points Act.
She said the department of correctional services would decide if the accused had breached his parole conditions. If so, Makaula would have to go back to prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence for murder.
IOL