BREAKING: S’African opposition leader Malema gets five-year jail term over firearm offence

A South African court has sentenced radical opposition politician, Julius Malema, to five years in prison for unlawfully discharging a firearm at a political rally.

The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier, who ruled that the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters had intentionally breached firearm regulations by firing an assault rifle into the air during a party celebration in 2018.

The sentencing drew a large crowd of supporters, many dressed in the party’s signature red attire, who gathered outside the court in East London in a show of solidarity.

The case, which has attracted significant political attention, centres on an incident that occurred eight years ago and has remained a point of contention in South Africa’s political landscape.

Further details on the ruling are expected to emerge.

Source: AFP