Malema sentenced to five years in prison over firearm discharge case

Key topics:Malema sentenced to 5 years for 2018 rally firearm discharge caseConvicted of firearm possession, ammo, reckless endangerment chargesAppeal lodged; could lose parliamentary seat if sentence upheld.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..BizNews Reporter.Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema was sentenced today to five years’ direct imprisonment in the firearm discharge case arising from a 2018 party rally in the Eastern Cape. The sentence was handed down in the Regional Court in KuGompo City (formerly East London) after Malema was convicted last year on five charges linked to firing a rifle into the air during an EFF event at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.According to the National Prosecuting Authority and court reporting by eNCA, Malema was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, failure to take reasonable precautions to protect people or property, and reckless endangerment. Magistrate Twanet Olivier said the act was not impulsive and rejected the defence’s description of it as a celebratory shot. eNCA reported that the court imposed five years for unlawful possession of a firearm, two years for unlawful possession of ammunition, and fines on the remaining counts, with alternative jail terms if the fines are not paid.Malema’s lawyers applied for leave to appeal shortly after the sentence was delivered. Reuters reported that, if the sentence is upheld after the appeals process, Malema would be barred from serving as a lawmaker, a potentially serious blow to the EFF, which is the fourth-largest party in Parliament. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison term, while the defence argued for a more lenient sentence such as a fine.

Malema sentenced to five years in prison over firearm discharge case

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