Julius Malema, the leader of the far-left opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party in South Africa, has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle into the air at a party rally in 2018 in the Eastern Cape province. Magistrate Twanet Olivier handed down the sentence on Thursday, concluding a trial where Malema was convicted last year on charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place.

The 45-year-old politician, who heads the fourth-largest party in parliament, pleaded not guilty, arguing that the gun was a toy. However, the magistrate stated it "wasn't an impulsive act" but "the event of the evening." Malema's defense claimed the shots were intended to be celebratory. His lawyers applied for leave to appeal the decision shortly after it was announced in a court in KuGompo City, formerly East London.

Outside the court, hundreds of Malema's red-clad EFF supporters gathered for the sentencing in this politically charged case. The EFF—a small but vocal party—alleges the case is an attempt to silence its outspoken leader, known for fiery speeches, and has threatened protests if he is jailed. The magistrate emphasized that "it is not a political party who has been convicted here… it is a person, an individual."

The maximum possible sentence was 15 years in prison; if the five-year term is upheld after all appeals, it would bar Malema from serving as a lawmaker. This would be a major setback for the EFF, which has strong support among young South Africans frustrated by racial inequality that has persisted since the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Source: www.aljazeera.com