A South African court has sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison for firing an assault rifle at a political rally eight years ago.
Magistrate Twanet Olivier handed down the sentence on Thursday, stating that the 45-year-old Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader had “deliberately violated” firearm laws when he discharged a weapon in the air at a party event in 2018.
“It was not an impulsive act,” Olivier said. “It was the event of the evening.”
Malema’s defence team argued the shots were merely celebratory. The state had sought the maximum 15-year term after Malema was found guilty in October. His lawyers have indicated they will appeal.
Hundreds of EFF supporters dressed in red gathered outside the court for the politically charged hearing. The small but vocal opposition party claims the case is an attempt to silence its firebrand leader, and supporters have threatened protests if he is jailed.
The magistrate stressed: “It is not a political party that has been convicted here… it is a person, an individual.”
The prosecution was brought by AfriForum, a conservative group that has long criticised Malema – notably for his use at rallies of the anti-apartheid chant “Kill the Boer”, a term for the country’s white Afrikaner population. AfriForum argues the chant constitutes hate speech and incites anti-white violence, but the courts have rejected that claim.
