South African Member of the Fire Brand, convicted of launching a pistol in a public place

South Africa’s opposition politician Julius Malema was found guilty of throwing a firearm seven years ago – a crime that brings a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

In 2018, a video appeared showing the leader of economic freedom (EFF) fighters, firing several shots in the air during the festivities of the fifth of his party held in the countryside of the country’s east cape.

He was accused with his former bodyguard Adrian Sniman, who was justified.

Malema was sentenced to hate speech less than two months ago and often throws the white minority in a country where 31 years after the end of apartheid, racial tension is still increasing.

He called for the seizure of land owned by white and claims that more must be done to transfer the richness of the Black Major.

Malema was convicted of five crimes, including the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, throwing it into public space and reckless threat. The first charging brings a maximum 15-year sentence.

He was accused of shooting between 14 and 15 live rounds on stage in front of 20,000 EFF supporters, according to South African site Sowetanlive.

In his defense, Malema told the court that the firearm was not his and that he had fired the shots to rouse the crowd, the newspaper added.

It took three days for the Twanet Olivier magistrate to tell Malema “You are found guilty of being accused.” The case was postponed until January 2026 for prior conviction.

The Malema seemed unobtrusive of his conviction, telling the supporters that “going to prison or death was a badge of honor.”

“We can’t be scared of prison (or) to die for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they need to know that we will never withdraw,” he said outside the regional court in East London.

He vowed to challenge the decision, even to the highest court of South Africa, the Constitutional Court.

The prosecutor’s office of the Malema came after the Afrikaner Afriforum lobbying group, which has controversial relations with Malem and EFR, opened a case against him after the video became viral.

Afriforum was also one of those who filed a complaint about Hate Hate Departure against EFF’s MP in the South Africa Human Rights Commission.

This led to his sentence by the country’s equality court in August this year.

Following an incident in which a white man claimed to have attacked a member of the EFR, Malem said, “No white man will beat me … You should never be afraid to kill. The revolution requires that at one point there should be murder.”

The equality court ruled that these remarks were “demonstrating the intention of inciting harm,” but the EFR said they had been taken out of context.

The dispute of the Malema extends beyond South Africa.

US President Donald Trump showed a video of a radical leader during his heated meeting with South Africa President Cyril Ramafosa in the White House in May, using it as part of his “evidence” that the genocide is carried out against white Africa in South Africa – a claim that is widely discredited.

A month later, Malema was refused to enter the United Kingdom because of his support for Hamas and comments on white people in South Africa. The interior office said it was considered “non -competitive for the public good”.