South African opposition leader, Julius Malema has been handed a five-year prison sentence after being found guilty of firing a rifle at a political rally in 2018, a ruling that could have major implications for his political career.
The court convicted the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters for unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging it in public during the event.
While delivering judgment, the magistrate stressed the seriousness of the offence, stating that allowing such actions to go unpunished would endanger the country’s democracy.
“It is clear that if crimes are allowed to go unchecked and unpunished, it poses a serious threat to our democratic state.”
Prosecutors had pushed for a tougher penalty, arguing that public figures must be held to higher standards due to their influence.
“The accused is a political leader with a huge following,” a prosecutor said, noting that his conduct could encourage similar behaviour among supporters.
Malema’s legal team, however, maintained that the gunshots were merely celebratory and caused no harm. The court dismissed that defence, ruling the act was intentional.
“It wasn’t an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening.”
Malema has since lodged an appeal against both the conviction and the sentence. If the decision stands, he risks losing his parliamentary seat, as South African law disqualifies lawmakers sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.
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