Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, has been sentenced to an effective five years in prison for unlawfully discharging a firearm at a political rally in Mdantsane in 2018.
The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Twanet Olivier at the KuGompo City Regional Court, bringing an end to a long-running legal case.
Malema received:
Five years imprisonment on the main charge
Two additional years on a secondary count
Fines of 20,000 rand on each of three other counts, with the alternative of six months’ imprisonment per count if unpaid
All sentences are to run concurrently, meaning he will serve a total of five years.
The case stems from a 2018 rally in Mdantsane, where Malema was found guilty of firing a gun in violation of South African law.
The ruling marks the conclusion of years of legal proceedings linked to the high-profile incident, which drew widespread public and political attention.
