An unnamed 36-year-old South African was arrested after allegedly going on a rampage on Wednesday, smashing windows at the country’s Constitutional Court.
The man is alleged to have continued breaking the windows even after the police fired warning shots to stop him.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola on Thursday that the man has been charged with malicious damage to property and would appear in court in due course.
Reacting to the incident, Lamola said the Constitutional Court was a powerful symbol of the country’s constitutional dispensation and the rule of law.
“Attacks on the Constitutional Court – or any other of our democratic institutions for that matter – is attacking democracy and what it represents,” the minister said.
The minister described the site of the Constitutional Court as a historic landmark that represents the struggle for freedom.
“It was specifically designed to reflect the values of our constitutional democracy, and (former president) Nelson Mandela himself, called the building a beacon of light, a symbol of hope, and celebration,” he said.
According to reports, the suspect was currently detained and expected to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
This is the second incident of an attack on a national institution, following the January 2 arson attack on the National Assembly which damaged the old Parliament building in Cape Town.
NM/jn/APA