South African Opposition Leader Julius Malema Sentenced To Five Years In Prison

South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been given a five-year jail sentence after a court found him guilty of illegally having a firearm and firing it in public.

Malema’s lawyer said they plan to challenge the ruling in court in a bid to stop him from going to prison.

The sentence could also affect his position in parliament, as it may lead to his disqualification as a lawmaker.

Malema appeared calm in court, dressed in a dark suit with a red tie, as the magistrate delivered the judgment.

He had earlier been convicted on several charges, including unlawful possession of a gun and ammunition, firing the weapon in a public place, and putting others at risk.

The case stems from a 2018 incident where a video showed him shooting a semi-automatic rifle into the air during his party’s fifth anniversary event in the Eastern Cape.

In his defence, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) claimed the gun did not belong to him and said he fired it to excite the crowd.

After his conviction last October, he told supporters outside the court that he was not afraid of prison or even death, describing such outcomes as part of the struggle.

“Going to prison or death is a badge of honour,”  Julius Malema said.

“We cannot be scared of prison [or] to die for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they must know we will never retreat.”

He also made it clear that he would continue fighting the case and take it as far as the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

The case was brought forward after AfriForum, a group that has often clashed with Malema and his party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, filed a complaint after the video went viral.

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