Julius Malema Sentenced to Five Years for Firearm Offenses in South Africa
Julius Malema's Sentencing Details
File image of South African politician Julius Malema(Photo: @News24/X)
Cape Town, April 16: Julius Malema, a prominent opposition figure in South Africa, has been sentenced to five years in prison due to firearm-related offenses.
As the founder of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Malema is a significant political figure in the nation.
The sentence was handed down on Thursday morning at the Magistrate's Court located in KuGompo City, previously known as East London, in the Eastern Cape province. Outside the courthouse, large screens displayed the proceedings to hundreds of EFF supporters who gathered to hear the verdict, according to reports from Xinhua News Agency.
The charges against Malema arose from an incident on July 28, 2018, when he fired a semi-automatic assault rifle into the air during an EFF rally in Mdantsane, a predominantly residential area in the Eastern Cape.
The EFF characterized the act as a "celebratory shot" intended to entertain the crowd during the rally marking the party's fifth anniversary, with no injuries reported.
In October of the previous year, Malema was found guilty on five counts, including unlawful firearm possession and discharging a firearm in a public space.
On Thursday, he was also ordered to pay a fine of 20,000 rand for each of the other three charges, amounting to a total of 60,000 rand, or face an additional six months in prison for each count.
The EFF has announced plans to appeal the ruling. If the sentence is upheld after all appeals, it would prevent Malema from continuing his role as a lawmaker.
Malema previously served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League from 2008 until 2012.
He founded the EFF in 2013 and was elected to the National Assembly in 2014 following his expulsion from the ANC in 2012 for causing divisions within the party and damaging its reputation.
After the 2024 general elections, the EFF emerged as the fourth-largest party in parliament but opted not to participate in the Government of National Unity (GNU).