Johannesburg - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has expressed confidence that it would hold EFF leader Julius Malema accountable for discharging a firearm in public.
On Wednesday, Malema was charged at the East London Magistrate Court on five counts over discharging a rifle in Mdantsane last year where the party was celebrating its fifth anniversary celebration at Sisa Dukashe Stadium.
Video footage of Malema firing the rifle emerged shortly after the rally. Malema previously denied there he had discharged a rifle with live ammunition.
Eastern Cape NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed the charges.
“The case has been postponed to 24 February 2020 for the state to provide the defence with the docket contents and the video footage,” Tyali said.
The five counts include unlawful possession of firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharge of a firearm in a built up area, failure to take reasonable precaution to person or property and reckless endangerment to person or property.
Security officer Adriaan Snyman, to whom the firearm that Malema used belonged to, has also been charged on two counts.
The case against Malema is just but one of a string of court battles he is fighting in different courts across the country.
He recently appeared in the Randburg Magistrate Court alongside EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi where the two are facing common assault charges relating to their scuffle with a police officer at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral last year.
Political Bureau