Julius Malema receives five-year prison sentence for unlawful firearm discharge at 2018 EFF gathering

Additional sentences for related charges will run concurrently. The charges stem from the EFF's fifth birthday celebrations at Mdantsane Stadium, where Malema fired shots into the air from an assault rifle. He was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area or public place, and reckless endangerment.

State prosecutor Joel Caesar argued for imprisonment, citing Malema's premeditated conduct, the discharge of live rounds among 20,000 people, Malema's role as a public figure, and his lack of remorse. Caesar highlighted that Malema's actions were planned and executed to entertain the crowd, and that the potential for mass casualties was real. He also stated that Malema's status as a leader made his actions an aggravating factor, conveying that public discharge of a semi-automatic rifle is an acceptable form of political celebration.

Malema's defense lawyer, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, questioned the return of a co-accused's firearm before judgment and argued that the state misread evidence regarding premeditation and the number of firearms involved. Ngcukaitobi contended that Malema was convicted for firing one bullet, not 22, and that the state was distorting findings to build a narrat