Julius Malema sentenced to prison

A South African court handed down a five-year prison sentence to Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, on Thursday.

Malema was convicted on five counts, including the unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment, stemming from an incident where he fired a rifle into the air during a 2018 rally.

The magistrate emphasized that Malema's actions showed a blatant disregard for the law.

Malema's legal team has vowed to appeal the decision, which he claims is politically motivated and rooted in racism.