Malema jailed: EFF leader gets five years for gun law violations

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the East London Regional Court for violations related to firearm handling and discharge.

The sentencing, delivered on the second day of proceedings, followed Malema’s conviction in October last year on five counts, including contraventions of the Firearms Control Act. The charges stem from a 2018 incident at the EFF’s anniversary celebrations, where Malema discharged a firearm in public.

Presiding magistrate Twanet Olivier described the offence as serious and rejected the defence’s argument that the incident constituted a “celebratory shot,” calling such reasoning “nonsensical.” Olivier emphasised the need for a sentence that balances the gravity of the crime with the personal circumstances of the accused.

“The sentence imposed should fit the offender as well as the crime. It must be fair to society and blended with a measure of mercy according to the circumstances of each matter,” she said.

While noting that Malema is a first-time offender with no prior convictions, the court held that this did not diminish the seriousness of the offences.

The court handed down the following sentences:

• Count 1: Unlawful possession of a firearm — five years’ imprisonment
• Count 2: Unlawful possession of ammunition — two years’ imprisonment
• Count 3: Discharging a firearm in public — R20,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment
• Count 4: Failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent injury or damage — R20,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment
• Count 5: Reckless endangerment — R20,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment

The sentences on the fines include the alternative of imprisonment if unpaid.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE