South African politician Julius Malema sentenced to prison for firing gun

Magistrate hands the opposition figure five-year term, that his lawyers say will be appealed.South African opposition politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to prison time for firing a rifle in ⁠the air at a party rally.Malema, the leader of the far-left opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was handed a five-year sentence on Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why has South Africa’s Malema been found guilty of hate speech again?list 2 of 3Why ‘Kill the Boer’ still echoes: It’s not hate, it’s hunger for justicelist 3 of 3Trump’s Ramaphosa ‘ambush’: Key takeaways from heated White House meetingend of listMalema, who is one of South Africa’s most prominent politicians, was convicted last year of charges, including unlawful possession of a ⁠firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place over the 2018 incident at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province.The 45-year-old leader of the fourth-biggest party in parliament had pleaded not guilty, arguing the gun was a toy.“It wasn’t … an impulsive act,” the magistrate said. “It was the event of the evening.”Malema’s defence said the shots were only intended to be celebratory.His lawyers applied for leave to appeal the magistrate’s decision within ⁠minutes of it being ⁠read out in a court in KuGompo City, formerly East London, on Thursday.Outside the court, hundreds of Malema’s red-clad EFF supporters gathered for the sentencing in the politically charged case.The EFF – a small but vocal party – says the case is an attempt to silence its outspoken leader, who is known for fiery speeches.Party supporters have threatened protests should their leader be jailed.The magistrate stressed it “is not a political party who has been convicted here … it is a person, an individual.”The maximum time was a 15-year prison sentence. If confirmed after all appeals, the five-year sentence would bar Malema from serving as a lawmaker.