Overview

• An East London magistrate found the EFF leader guilty on five firearm-related counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place, and reckless endangerment.
• Former bodyguard Adriaan Snyman, accused of providing the rifle, was acquitted of the charges against him.
• The ruling relied on authenticated event footage from Gearhouse and a spent cartridge recovered after the rally, while unauthenticated viral video was excluded.
• Malema faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison, and a term exceeding one year without the option of a fine could cost him his parliamentary seat under the constitution.
• He denounced the verdict as politically motivated, vowed to appeal up to the Constitutional Court, and remains on bail as the National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the conviction.