Julius Malema vows to challenge firearm conviction as he rallies supporters
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema and Adriaan Snyman
Image: Radebe/African News Agency
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema emerged from the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, shortly after being convicted for unlawfully firing a firearm.
Displaying an unwavering front, Malema joined a throng of supporters outside the court, reviving the polarising chant, “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer,” a phrase closely associated with his radical stance on land reform and transformation policies.
Addressing his supporters, he expressed his intent to contest the judgment all the way to the Constitutional Court.
“Revolutionary going to prison or death is a badge of honour,” Malema said.
“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.
He vowed to fight the conviction at every level of the judiciary.
“We are going to the appeal and we’ll go to the Supreme Court.
"We’ll end up at the Constitutional Court. We are not fighting the case. We are fighting racism,” Malema said.
He also said Olivier was racist.
Pre-sentencing proceedings are taking place on January 23.
Malema’s bail has been extended.
IOL News