By Ghazali Ibrahim
A South African court has sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple firearm-related offences.
Malema, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted for unlawfully possessing a firearm and discharging it during a political rally held in 2018 in the Eastern Cape.
The sentencing was delivered on Thursday by a magistrate’s court, marking a major development in a case that has drawn national and international attention.
Prosecutors had argued for a stiff penalty, stressing that Malema’s actions captured in a widely circulated video amounted to reckless behaviour capable of endangering lives and setting a dangerous example for his large following.
The court found him guilty on several counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a weapon in a public space, and reckless endangerment.
Malema, however, has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining during trial that the firearm used at the rally was a toy and that the act was merely celebratory.
Following the judgment, his legal team immediately filed for leave to appeal both the conviction and the sentence, a move that could delay enforcement of the prison term.
If the conviction is upheld after appeals, the sentence could have significant political consequences, as South African law bars individuals sentenced to more than 12 months in prison from serving as members of parliament.
The ruling is expected to deal a major blow to the EFF, one of the country’s leading opposition parties, which enjoys strong support among young South Africans.
Malema remains one of South Africa’s most prominent and controversial political figures, and the outcome of his appeal is likely to shape the country’s political landscape in the coming months.
