A court in South Africa has sentenced Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), to five years in prison after finding him guilty of unlawfully discharging a firearm during a political rally in 2018.
The court held that Malema deliberately violated firearm regulations when he fired a rifle into the air at an EFF anniversary celebration.
Delivering the judgment, Magistrate Twanet Olivier ruled that the act was intentional and not spontaneous, noting that it formed part of the event.
Malema’s legal team had argued that the gunfire was merely celebratory, but the court dismissed the defence and proceeded with sentencing.
The EFF has since described the case as politically motivated, while supporters gathered outside the court premises to protest the ruling.
