Africa-Press – South-Africa. There has been a mixed reaction from political parties and organisations following the sentencing of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema.
Earlier on Thursday, the KuGompo City Magistrate’s Court situated in the Eastern Cape handed Malema a five-year direct prison sentence. This follows his conviction last year for contravening firearm laws.
The sentence will not take effect immediately. Malema was granted leave to appeal the sentence and has been released on a warning. However, the court denied his request to appeal the conviction itself.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) were among the first political parties to react to the outcome, stating that the ruling demonstrates that no one is above the law.
“It is a good day for the rule of law,” said DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Conversely, other prominent figures have been highly critical of the court’s decision.
Zwelinzima Vavi: The SAFTU General Secretary posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the five-year sentence without the option of a fine has left many in shock. He argued that the principle of equality before the law was not upheld in this instance.
Dali Mpofu: The Senior Counsel and former EFF National Chairperson questioned the court’s expression of frustration regarding logistical challenges. He suggested on social media that the case could have simply been moved to another venue if logistics were an issue.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla: The former MK Party MP, who is currently on trial for terrorism-related charges linked to the 2021 unrest, reacted cryptically on social media, writing “April unrest” accompanied by an emoji and a question mark.
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