Education activist Hendrick Makaneta says the guilty verdict against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema should remind young people that “there is no freedom without the law.”
The East London Magistrate’s Court found Malema guilty of contravening the Firearms Control Act on Wednesday.
Malema was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, reckless endangerment, and failing to take precautions to avoid danger.
No leader is above accountability
The case stemmed from a 2018 rally in Mdantsane, where Malema was accused of firing gunshots into the air. He will return to court in January for sentencing.
Makaneta cautioned young people against enabling lawlessness, adding that the verdict should not be politicised but serve as a reminder that no leader is above accountability.
“We want the privileges of democracy without the discipline it demands. We romanticize struggle but ignore the responsibilities that come with power,” he said in a statement.
“We must stop praising leaders who believe they are untouchable and start building citizens who believe in accountability,” he said.
Mixed reactions
Makaneta’s remarks come amid criticism of the justice system by Malema’s young supporters. One supporter said the verdict was an attack orchestrated by the ANC.
“They were plotting against him,” she said, without providing evidence. “This is the ANC against Malema because the EFF is winning in almost everything. This is a way for them to hold him back…Our justice system is not effective at all,” she said.
Malema told his supporters outside court that the party would appeal the “unfair” verdict in January.
The DA’s Ian Cameron welcomed the ruling, saying Malema embodied a “culture of chaos, violence, and criminality” that he said Malema was prepared to “unleash” on South Africa.
“A man who fires live rounds at a political rally demonstrates exactly the kind of thuggery the EFF is prepared to unleash on South Africa,” Cameron said in a statement.
“This reckless act was cheered on and excused by those who insisted it was a fake gun. Their deliberate lies were an attempt to shield a politician from accountability and to normalise lawlessness,” he said.
