South African opposition leader and Economic Freedom Fighters chief, Julius Malema, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of unlawfully discharging a firearm during a political rally in 2018.
A magistrate in East London, Twanet Olivier, delivered the ruling on Thursday, stating that Malema deliberately violated South Africa’s firearm laws when he fired an assault rifle into the air during an EFF celebration event eight years ago.
The court said the act was intentional and posed a serious breach of public safety regulations, justifying a custodial sentence.
Following the judgment, hundreds of Malema’s supporters dressed in the party’s signature red outfits gathered outside the courthouse in a show of solidarity, as tensions rose around the politically sensitive case.
Magistrate Olivier noted that the evidence presented showed clear misconduct.
“The accused acted in direct contravention of the law by discharging a firearm in a public space during a political gathering,” the court was quoted as saying.
Malema’s legal team is expected to explore possible appeal options, although no formal statement has yet been released from the EFF leadership following the ruling.
The case, which has drawn widespread political attention in South Africa, stems from an incident at an EFF rally in 2018 where Malema was seen firing an assault rifle into the air during celebrations.
