‘Deserves harshest punishment’: Parties rejoice as guilty Malema faces possible 15 years in prison. Image by SA people
(The Post News) – Julius Malema, the leader of the EFF, was convicted on five counts of unlawfully possessing and recklessly firing a firearm. The conviction carries a minimum mandatory term of 15 years in jail under the Firearms Control Act.
Malema was found guilty on all counts, including reckless endangerment, firing a firearm in a public setting, illegally possessing ammunition, and violating the Firearms Control Act.
The conviction comes from a July 2018 event during the EFF’s fifth anniversary celebration in Mdantsane, when thousands of supporters watched as Malema fired several bullets into the air from a weapon on stage.
Legal Experts Weigh In on Possible Jail Time
- Sentencing Discretion: If the defence can show “substantial and compelling circumstances” that support a lighter sentence, the court may choose to depart from the minimum required punishment.
- First Time Offender: According to experts, a first time offender facing a firearm charge who did not purposefully target any life is more likely to be given a suspended sentence or a shorter jail term.
- Political Future: Malema would be barred from holding office as a Member of Parliament (MP) if he received a term of more than 12 months in prison without the possibility of a fine; however, this would only happen once all appeals have been exhausted.
Defiance and Political Fallout
Declaring to his assembled supporters outside the courthouse that he would not be “scared of prison or to die for the revolution,” Malema remained defiant and said he intended to challenge the verdict all the way to the Constitutional Court.
The ruling was celebrated by political opponents and the lobby group AfriForum, which initially laid the charges. The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the verdict, stating that it delivered a blow against the “culture of chaos, violence and criminality” the EFF leader allegedly embodies.
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