South African opposition leader Julius Malema was on Wednesday found guilty of violating firearm laws over a 2018 incident where he was seen firing a rifle during a political rally.
Malema, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted of contravening the Firearms Control Act. His former bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, who was accused of handing him the weapon, was acquitted. Malema reacted angrily, saying the ruling proved the magistrate was racist because Snyman is white.
The footage of Malema discharging the gun at his party’s fifth anniversary celebration in the Eastern Cape went viral in 2018. The case was pursued after Afriforum, an Afrikaner lobby group, filed criminal charges against him.
In court, Malema argued that the weapon in the video was a toy gun, but Magistrate Twanet Olivier dismissed his defense.
Speaking outside the East London Magistrates Court, Malema vowed to challenge the ruling and take the matter to the Constitutional Court if necessary.
While he faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison, the absence of a minimum term means the court could hand down a lighter punishment. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 23 next year.
Malema is the founder of the EFF, South Africa’s fourth largest political party, which secured 9% of the national vote in last year’s general elections.
