Malema Sentenced to Five Years in Firearm Case.

Malema Sentenced to Five Years in Firearm Case.

Julius Malema has been sentenced to a total of five years’ imprisonment by a Magistrate’s Court in KuGompo City in the Eastern Cape, following a firearm case linked to an incident in 2018.

The court heard that the matter stems from the Economic Freedom Fighters’ fifth anniversary celebrations held in Mdantsane, where Malema discharged a firearm in public. He was subsequently convicted for unlawful discharge of a firearm in a public space. During Wednesday’s proceedings, the court focused on arguments in mitigation and aggravation of sentence, with the State pushing for a custodial sentence while the defence argued for a non-custodial penalty.

State prosecutor Advocate Joel Ceasar told the court that Malema had shown no remorse for his actions, which he said endangered the lives of people present at the event. The court ultimately imposed a five-year sentence.

In response, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it would appeal the decision. The party argued that Malema has been cooperative with the courts since 2018, has never missed a court appearance, and is not a flight risk. 

The EFF further stated that its legal team, led by Deputy President Godrich Gardee, had made strong submissions in court and expressed confidence that the appeal process would succeed, insisting that Malema would be able to spend the night at home as legal proceedings continue.