PRESS RELEASE: Referendum Party Welcomes Malema Guilty Verdict In Firearms Case
The Referendum Party welcomes Malema’s guilty verdict, hailing it as long-overdue accountability for his threats and violence.
PRESS RELEASE: Referendum Party Welcomes Malema Guilty Verdict In Firearms Case
The Referendum Party (RP) welcomes the court’s decision to find Julius Malema guilty on all charges in his firearm discharge case. For too long, Malema has acted as if he is above the law - threatening violence against minorities, particularly farmers, intimidating communities, and using reckless rhetoric to inflame division. Today’s verdict proves that such conduct cannot go unchecked forever.
We also congratulate AfriForum for their persistence in pursuing this case. Without their efforts, Malema’s actions may once again have been swept under the carpet. Their success shows the value of civil society in holding even the most powerful politicians accountable.
Malema’s actions at the 2018 Mdantsane rally, where he fired shots into the air before a crowd of thousands, were not only unlawful under the Firearms Control Act, but a symbol of the political impunity he has long enjoyed. His conviction sends an important message: political leaders must be held to the same standards as every South African.
But let us be clear: Malema is not the cause of South Africa’s deeper crisis, he is a symptom. Whether he faces prison time or not, the violent and racist undercurrent his party and others represent remains. Until this culture of hatred and intimidation is confronted head-on, South Africa’s democracy and its people will remain at risk.
RP will continue to stand for peace, order, and genuine self-determination - the values that can ensure a safe and free future for all communities.