A South African court on Thursday sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison for firing a rifle in the air during a political rally, marking a major legal and political blow to one of the country’s most prominent figures.
The 45-year-old leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was convicted last year on five charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place. The charges stem from a 2018 incident at a stadium in Eastern Cape province.
Malema had pleaded not guilty.
His legal team moved swiftly after sentencing, applying for leave to appeal within minutes of the ruling delivered at a magistrate’s court in Ku Gompo City, formerly known as East London.
If upheld after the appeals process, the sentence would disqualify Malema from serving as a member of parliament — a development that could significantly weaken the EFF, currently the fourth-largest party in South Africa’s legislature.
The party has built a strong base among young South Africans frustrated by persistent inequality decades after the end of Apartheid in 1994.
Malema’s potential removal from frontline politics would represent a major setback for the EFF’s influence ahead of future electoral contests.
