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South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of firearm-related offences tied to an incident eight years ago.

The sentencing followed a long-running case in which Malema was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm and firing a rifle in the air during a political rally in 2018.

A crowd of red‑clad supporters from his Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party gathered outside the court ahead of the judgment in the politically charged case.

Magistrate Twanet Olivier ruled that the shots fired at the rally in the Eastern Cape province were a deliberate violation of South Africa’s gun laws.

Malema, 45 years old and a prominent figure in South African politics, has denied wrongdoing, with his defense team arguing that the rifle was celebratory and that no harm was intended.

Immediately after the sentence was handed down, Malema’s lawyers applied for leave to appeal, seeking to challenge both the conviction and the length of the prison term.

Under South African law, a prison term exceeding 12 months without the option of a fine could disqualify him from serving in parliament if all appeals fail.

The prosecution had sought the maximum 15‑year sentence, arguing that enforcement of firearm laws is essential and that leniency could set a dangerous precedent.

Supporters of the EFF have described the case as politically motivated, warning that the sentence could weaken the party’s influence, especially among young South Africans frustrated by entrenched inequality.

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