Malema granted leave to appeal firearm conviction
The Eastern Cape High Court (Makhanda) has granted EFF president Julius Malema leave to appeal his conviction on firearm charges.
Malema was found guilty of contravening the Firearms Control Act by the East London Magistrate’s Court last year and handed an effective five years in direct imprisonment by Magistrate Twanet Olivier in April, reports The Citizen.
Malema and his bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, have been on trial for several years for discharging a firearm at the party’s fifth birthday celebrations in Mdantsane in 2018.
Malema was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, unlawful discharge of a firearm in a built-up area, failure to take reasonable precautions to avoid danger, and reckless endangerment to persons or property.
He denied the charges, claiming the rifle was a toy and that it did not put anyone’s life in danger.
In her April ruling, after hearing arguments from the state and the defence, Olivier said she stood by her sentence, but another court could come to a different conclusion.
The court, however, refused leave to appeal the conviction. Malema’s legal team then petitioned the High Court.
An order signed by the High Court on Monday said Malema’s legal team has provided sufficient grounds for the matter to now be heard.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
