South African opposition figure Malema sentenced to five years in prison for illegal gun possession
Leading South African opposition politician Julius Malema, 45, has been sentenced to five years after being found guilty of the illegal possession of a gun and firing it in public.
But Magistrate Twanet Olivier allowed the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters and Member of Parliament to appeal against the sentencing, meaning that he was not immediately be taken to prison.
Earlier, standing in Court in a dark suit and red tie, Malema showed little emotion as the Magistrate read out the sentence even though his political future was at stake.
Last year, he was convicted of five offences, including the unlawful possession of a firearm, discharging it in public and reckless endangerment.
Malema was able to leave Court and greet his supporters as the appeal process has now begun
The charges related to an incident in 2018 when a video emerged showing Malema using a semi-automatic rifle to fire several shots in the air during his party’s fifth anniversary celebrations held in the country’s Eastern Cape province.
During the trial in KuGompo City, which is the new name for East London, Malema told the Court that the firearm was not his and that he had fired the shots to rouse the crowd, South African news site SowetanLIVE reported at the time.
But during her sentencing ruling the Magistrate said “it wasn’t an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening,” the AFP news agency reports.
She added that while his political standing had no bearing on her findings, he was someone who had a large following in South Africa and should account for his actions.
Addressing some of those followers outside court, he made a series of unsubstantiated allegations against the Magistrate and said, without offering direct evidence, that the conviction and sentencing were a result of a conspiracy.
“They are trying by all means to silence this voice. They will never win,” AFP quotes him as saying. “We are fighting the enemy and the enemy is white supremacy.”
Malema has a long reputation as being an outspoken, charismatic and radical left-wing politician and has a loyal band of supporters.
