KUGOMPO CITY, South Africa, April 16 (Reuters) – South African opposition politician Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for firing a rifle in the air at a rally, a magistrate's court ruled.
Malema, 45, is one of South Africa's most prominent politicians.
it was convicted last year On five charges, including illegal possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place, over a 2018 incident at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province.
Malema's lawyers applied for permission to appeal within minutes of the magistrate's ruling being read at a court in the town of Kugompo, formerly east London.
If the conviction is confirmed after all appeals, Malema will be barred from acting as a lawmaker.
It would be a major blow to Malema's far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which enjoys strong support among young South Africans frustrated by racial inequality that has persisted since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
The EFF is the fourth largest party in parliament.
Malema had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.