EFF leader Julius Malema is expected to appear in the
East London regional court on Monday, 5 September on charges related to the
firing of a rifle in public.
Malema admitted in March that he fired the gun during the party's fifth birthday in 2018 but the gun was a mere toy.
His lawyer, advocate Laurence Hodes SC, put it to the first state witness, retired Colonel Ngamlana Nkwali, that he never shot a real firearm.
"It looked like a real firearm," said Nkwali.
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Malema and his bodyguard and co-accused Adriaan Snyman pleaded not guilty to charges including unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition and discharging of a firearm in a built-up area.
Lobby group AfriForum laid charges against the duo in 2018 after a video surfaced and went viral on social media showing Malema firing what appeared to be an automatic assault rifle.
AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk said ahead of the trial resumption that they believed the criminal justice system treats the political elite differently from ordinary South Africans.
“This case has been dragging on for a while now which is one of our concerns because it has become a pattern that Malema gets preference treatment from the state.
“The NPA took its time to prosecute the case and only acted after getting pressure from every forum we are clear that the case is finally getting to a point," he said.
