A South African court sentenced opposition politician and South African Member of Parliament Julius Malema to five years in prison on Thursday for firing a rifle into the air during a rally, a decision that could jeopardize his political future as a parliamentarian. Malema, 45, is the founder of the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party and one of South Africa’s most prominent politicians, who has been targeted by attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump. He was found guilty last year of five charges, including illegal possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place, related to an incident that occurred in 2018.
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In a video circulated on social media in 2018, Malema was seen firing several shots into the air with a semi-automatic rifle during a rally celebrating the fifth anniversary of his party, at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province. After the video went viral, the charges against him were brought following a complaint by the Afrikaner group AfriForum, which has a contentious relationship with him and the EFF.
Malema’s videos have also been targeted by Trump. During a meeting last May with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, Trump played a video showing clips of Malema singing in front of a large crowd an anti-apartheid anthem that calls for killing white landowners. Supporters of the song claim it is a symbolic call to defeat the racist regime of the white minority that ruled until 1994. Trump cited the videos as evidence that Afrikaners, a white minority, were threatened with genocide.
When he was found guilty last year, Malema told his followers that “going to jail or dying is a badge of honor,” as seen in a video released by the South African media outlet Sowetan last October. “We cannot be afraid of jail or dying for the revolution. Whatever they do, you must know that we will never back down,” he declared.
He spoke again to his followers this Thursday — thousands gathered to await the sentencing outside the court — and told them he will appeal the conviction.
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Malema and his political allies have denounced that the judicial process against him is politically motivated. The politician had pleaded not guilty to all charges, for which the prosecution sought a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. His lawyers have requested permission to appeal the decision of the Kugompo city court.
If the conviction is confirmed after all appeals are exhausted, Malema will not be able to serve as a parliamentarian. While the process is pending, the politician can retain his seat as a legislator. In South Africa, citizens cannot serve as legislators if they are sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the possibility of substitution by a fine.
This would be a severe blow to the EFF, founded by Malema a decade ago. It is the fourth largest party in parliament and has strong support among young South Africans. One of its main focuses is the racial inequality that has persisted despite the end of the apartheid regime imposed by the white minority.
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