South African opposition leader Julius Malema was on Thursday sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment after a court found him guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition and firing a weapon in public during the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) 2018 anniversary celebrations.
East London regional magistrate Twanet Olivier delivered the sentence before a packed courtroom, ruling that Malema’s actions at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane were premeditated and not the spontaneous “celebratory shot” his defence had argued.
A widely circulated video from the event showed Malema firing what appeared to be a semi‑automatic rifle into the air in front of thousands of supporters.
Malema was convicted last October on five counts, including violating the Firearms Control Act, reckless endangerment and failing to take reasonable precautions to prevent harm.
Olivier said the court had weighed the seriousness of the offences against the fact that Malema was a first‑time offender but stressed that the conduct was deliberate and planned.
“It wasn’t an impulsive act… It was the event of the evening. It should take considerable planning for an event of that magnitude as to how, when, and exactly at what time you will take possession of the firearm and where you will fire it from.”
The court imposed five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm and two years for unlawful possession of ammunition.
Three additional counts – discharging a firearm in public, failure to take precautions, and reckless endangerment – each carried fines of R20,000 (about $1,200) or six months’ imprisonment.
The sentences on the latter counts will run concurrently with the main term. Malema was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The case stems from allegations first raised in 2018, when police opened an investigation after the stadium video emerged.
Prosecutors argued that Malema knowingly handled a weapon without the required licence and endangered the public by firing live ammunition in a crowded venue.
Malema’s legal team indicated they would appeal both the conviction and the sentence.
JN/APA