Leading South African opposition politician Julius Malema, 45, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of the illegal possession of a gun.
Last year, he was convicted of five offences, including the unlawful possession of a firearm, discharging it in public and reckless endangerment.
The charges related to an incident in 2018 when a video emerged showing Malema using a semi-automatic rifle to fire several shots in the air during his party’s fifth anniversary celebrations held in the country’s Eastern Cape province.
Malema was once the leader of the youth wing of the governing African National Congress. But after being expelled from the party, following a falling-out with then President Jacob Zuma, he went on to form the EFF.
After being found guilty last October, Malema was quoted as telling those outside the court that “going to prison or death is a badge of honour”.
“We cannot be scared of prison [or] to die for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they must know we will never retreat.”
Last August, he was found guilty of hate speech by the equality court, following remarks he made at a rally in 2022.
After an incident where a white man allegedly assaulted an EFF member, Malema said: “No white man is going to beat me up… you must never be scared to kill. A revolution demands that at some point there must be killing.”
Julius Sello Malema (born March 3, 1981) is a prominent, controversial South African politician and the founder/leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, established in 2013. Formerly the fiery President of the ANC Youth League (2008–2012), he was expelled from the ANC in 2012 before shifting to radical left-wing politics, advocating for land expropriation without compensation and nationalization
Graduated from Mohlakaneng High School, completed a diploma in youth development (2010), and a BA in Communications and African Languages (2016) through UNISA.
Served as ANCYL President from 2008 to 2012, initially known for his strong support of Jacob Zuma however he was expelled from the ANC in April 2012.
Founded the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in July 2013, acting as Commander-in-Chief (CiC) and Served as a Member of Parliament and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
