Update: Court Grants Malema Bail Pending Appeal Against Five-Year Sentence

A magistrate’s court in South Africa has granted Julius Malema permission to appeal against his five-year prison sentence and released him on bail pending the outcome.

Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is challenging the ruling that sentenced him to five years in prison for discharging a firearm during a political gathering in 2018.

The court ruled on Wednesday that Malema should serve a five-year jail term for repeatedly firing a weapon into the air during the event.

However, he has since been granted bail while the High Court considers his appeal and determines whether the sentence will stand.

Meanwhile, Malema is currently addressing his supporters outside the court.