Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has pleaded not guilty to the firearm-related charges he is facing in the East London Magistrate’s court.
The charges are the illegal possession of a firearm, contravention of the Firearms Control Act, the illegal possession of ammunition and reckless endangerment to persons or property.
It is alleged that Malema discharged a firearm during the celebrations of the party’s 5th anniversary at the Sisa Dukashe stadium in the Eastern Cape in 2018.
The trial against Malema and his co-accused, Adrian Snyman, started on Tuesday after it was postponed on Monday for a new prosecutor to take over in the case.
[Day 2] CIC @Julius_S_Malema appearing at the East London Magistrates Court #MalemaInCourt https://t.co/4GDIlU9W5t
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) March 1, 2022
VIDEO: In 2018, AfriForum laid criminal charges against Malema for shooting a firearm in a public area, as well as the possession of an unlicensed firearm:
VIDEO: In 2019, Malema described the charges against him as a mockery of the system: