Opposition politician in South Africa, Julius Malema, was yesterday sentenced to five years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and discharging it in public.
Malema was charged last year with possessing a firearm without a license and using it publicly in 2018.
He defended himself by saying that the gun did not belong to him and that he used it to excite supporters of his party while they were celebrating the party’s fifth anniversary.
Following the ruling, his lawyers filed an appeal to prevent him from being imprisoned.
Standing in court dressed in a black suit and red tie, Malema did not appear intimidated by the sentence, even as East London Magistrate Twanet Olivier read out the judgment.
Malema, 45, is an opposition politician who has been highly critical of the administration of President Cyril Ramaphosa and is very popular among Black South Africans.
The politician leads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and on Wednesday he denied the charges against him. His party is the fourth largest in South African politics.
If he had been sentenced to more than 12 years, Malema would have been disqualified from serving as a Member of Parliament under South African law.
That would have been a blow to South African youth who support Malema and have complained of being marginalized since the country gained independence in 1994.
In court, the prosecutor argued that it would set a bad example if Malema were released without a prison sentence.
“The accused is a politician with a large following and is admired by many young people who may imitate his behavior,” said prosecutor Joel Ceasar.
“He is a Member of Parliament, a lawmaker, yet he is breaking the very law,” he added.
Malema’s lawyers defended him, saying he had no intention to kill and was only celebrating. They are requesting that he be fined instead of imprisoned.
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