A South African court on Thursday sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison after finding him guilty of firing a rifle into the air at a 2018 political rally.
The conviction stems from an incident at an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) event. Malema, 45, leader of the EFF—the fourth-largest party in parliament—was found guilty in October of unlawfully possessing a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place. Prosecutors say he fired a rifle into the air during the rally.
Magistrate Twanet Olivier handed down the sentence in a court in KuGompo City (formerly East London), saying Malema had deliberately breached firearm laws by firing the gun at the gathering. “It wasn’t… an impulsive act,” the magistrate said. “It was the event of the evening.” Malema has pleaded not guilty, insisting the shots were celebratory.
Hundreds of red-clad EFF supporters gathered outside the court as the politically charged case concluded. Media reports said the sentence means Malema can no longer serve as a member of parliament. The court later granted him leave to appeal. EFF supporters have warned they will stage protests if he is jailed.
During sentencing the magistrate emphasized the ruling targeted an individual, not the political party. Malema has accused authorities of political motivation, saying the case was driven by AfriForum, a lobby group representing some members of South Africa’s Afrikaner minority.
South Africa’s judiciary is constitutionally independent, and courts have repeatedly rejected claims of political interference. AfriForum has also criticized Malema for using the anti-apartheid chant “Kill the Boer” at rallies, arguing it constitutes hate speech and incites violence against white South Africans. South African courts, however, have ruled that the chant does not amount to hate speech when interpreted in the historical context of the struggle against apartheid, which ended in 1994.
AfriForum has taken its complaints to the United States, where footage of Malema using the chant drew attention from politicians. Former US President Donald Trump raised the issue with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House, showing video of Malema and asking, “But why wouldn’t you arrest that man?”
Edited by Rob Turner