'No one is above the law': Referendum Party, AfriForum and DA welcome Malema conviction
The Referendum Party (RP), AfriForum and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have welcomed the ruling by the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, which found Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema guilty of multiple firearm-related charges.
Malema was convicted of discharging a firearm in a built-up or public area without sufficient reason, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The charges stemmed from an incident at the EFF’s fifth birthday rally in Mdantsane in July 2018, where Malema fired several shots into the air before thousands of supporters.
The RP said the judgment was a victory for accountability.
“We welcome the court’s decision to find Julius Malema guilty on all charges in his firearm discharge case. For too long, Malema has acted as if he is above the law – threatening violence against minorities, particularly farmers, intimidating communities, and using reckless rhetoric to inflame division. Today’s verdict proves that such conduct cannot go unchecked forever,” the party said.
The RP also applauded AfriForum’s role in pursuing the matter.
“We also congratulate AfriForum for their persistence in pursuing this case. Without their efforts, Malema’s actions may once again have been swept under the carpet. Their success shows the value of civil society in holding even the most powerful politicians accountable,” it added.
AfriForum, which first laid the charges against Malema in August 2018, described the outcome as proof that the rule of law applies equally to all.
“AfriForum welcomes the ruling made today in which Malema, was found guilty on five charges, among others the discharging of a firearm in a built-up or public area without sufficient reason, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition,” the organisation said.
Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for community safety, said the verdict had wider significance. “AfriForum will continue to ensure that politically connected individuals face justice like any other citizen,” he concluded.
The DA’s Ian Cameron echoed the praise for the ruling, stressing that the evidence had always been clear.
“From the outset, video footage showed Malema firing a real weapon. I said so then because the recoil, muzzle flash, and handling were consistent with a live firearm. Today’s conviction confirms what was always obvious: Malema recklessly fired a gun into the air in front of thousands of supporters,” Cameron said.
The party warned that the case spoke to a deeper culture of lawlessness.
“South Africa’s firearm laws are clear and apply equally to all. Ordinary citizens face prosecution daily for far less. If equality before the law is to mean anything, then Malema and his cronies must face the full consequences. No political leader should ever be allowed to incite violence or flaunt the law with impunity,” it added.
Defiant after the ruling, Malema rallied alongside supporters outside the court, reigniting the controversial chant, ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer,’ long tied to his radical land reform stance.
He told the crowd that he would fight the judgment all the way to the Constitutional Court.
“Revolutionary going to prison or death is a badge of honour,” he 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.”
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