South African opposition politician, Julius Malema, has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and discharging it in public.
The conviction follows offences linked to a 2018 incident in which a video showed the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air during the party’s fifth anniversary celebration in the Eastern Cape.
Malema was earlier convicted on multiple counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a weapon in a public space, and reckless endangerment.
His lawyer said an appeal would be filed immediately to stop the enforcement of the sentence, a move that could delay his imprisonment. The ruling also raises the possibility of Malema losing his seat in parliament, given the length of the sentence.
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Appearing in court dressed in a dark suit and red tie, the 45-year-old maintained a calm expression as the magistrate delivered the judgment.
During the trial, Malema denied ownership of the firearm, insisting he only fired the shots to energise the crowd.
Following his conviction last October, he addressed supporters outside the court in East London, declaring that “going to prison or death is a badge of honour”.
“We cannot be scared of prison [or] to die for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they must know we will never retreat.”
He also pledged to challenge the ruling up to the Constitutional Court.
The case was initiated by Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum after the video of the incident went viral, further intensifying its long-standing dispute with Malema and his party.
(BBC)