Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, has been granted permission to appeal his conviction.
Last October, the KuGompo Magistrate’s Court found Malema guilty of breaching the Firearms Control Act. In April, Magistrate Twanet Olivier sentenced him to an effective five years in prison.
Although Malema was previously allowed to appeal his sentence, he was not permitted to challenge his conviction. This related to a 2018 incident where he was filmed firing a rifle into the air during his party’s fifth anniversary celebrations in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.
On Tuesday, Justices Tokota and Lowe reviewed the case and determined there were compelling reasons to grant Malema’s appeal against his conviction. They ordered that his application be heard by the Full Bench of the High Court in Makhanda, Eastern Cape.
