A South African court has sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison for unlawfully discharging a firearm during a political rally.
Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted over an incident that occurred in 2018 when he fired an assault rifle into the air at a party celebration.
Delivering judgment, Magistrate Twanet Olivier said the action was a deliberate breach of the country’s firearm laws, stressing that public figures must be held accountable for conduct that endangers public safety.
The sentencing drew a strong reaction, with dozens of EFF supporters, many dressed in the party’s signature red attire, gathering outside the court in a show of solidarity in what has become a politically sensitive case.
Malema, born on March 3, 1981, is a prominent South African opposition figure known for his radical political stance and leadership of the EFF since its founding in 2013.
