Malema challenges court ruling, claims political motivation behind firearm conviction

Moments after being convicted of unlawfully firing a firearm, EFF leader Julius Malema walked out of the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday and announced his next move - to challenge the verdict at the Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court.

“We are going to the appeal and we’ll go to the Supreme Court," Malema said addressing his supporters.

"We’ll end up at the Constitutional Court. We are not fighting the case. We are fighting racism."

“Revolutionary going to prison or death is a badge of honour.

“We cannot be scared of prison, we cannot be scared to die for the revolution.

"So whatever they want to do, they must know we will never retreat from the ideas and the seven cardinal pillars of the EFF, and the centre of those is to expropriate land without compensation.”

The case stems from an incident at the EFF’s fifth anniversary rally at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane in 2018.

Video footage presented in court showed Malema firing a rifle into the air in front of thousands of supporters.

This led to multiple charges under the Firearms Control Act, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public area, reckless endangerment of persons or property, and failing to take reasonable precautions to prevent danger.

Magistrate Twanet Olivier found Malema guilty on all five counts, ruling that the rifle fired by the EFF leader was real and not a prop as the defence had claimed.

She said the viral video circulating online was not needed to reach a judgment.

She said the court had relied on authenticated evidence, including footage provided by Gearhouse, a company contracted to record the event.

Malema’s former bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, who was accused of handing him the rifle, was acquitted.

The charges were laid by civil rights lobby group AfriForum.

Malema dismissed the verdict as politically motivated.

“By releasing accused number two [Snyman], the whole case should have collapsed.

"But the racist was looking for me and that’s why they could not collapse the case, to appease AfriForum, to appease the Oval Office of Donald Trump, to appease all the white supremacist of SA who want to undermine the dignity and the strength of black people,” he said.

Pre-sentencing proceedings are taking place on January 23.

Malema’s bail has been extended.

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