South African court has sentenced opposition politician, Julius Malema, to five years in prison for firing a rifle in the air during a political rally.

The ruling was delivered on Thursday by a magistrate’s court.

Hundreds of red-clad supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party leader gathered outside the court for the sentencing in the politically charged case.

Malema, 45, was convicted last year on five counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place.

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The charges stemmed from a 2018 incident at a stadium in Eastern Cape Province. Shortly after the judgment was delivered, Malema’s legal team applied for leave to appeal the ruling.

The application was filed within minutes of the decision at a court in KuGompo City, formerly known as East London.

If upheld after the appeal process, the sentence could bar Malema from serving as a lawmaker. This would pose a significant setback for his party, the EFF, one of South Africa’s major opposition groups.

The EFF is currently the fourth-largest party in South Africa’s parliament and enjoys strong backing among young voters.

The party has built its support on addressing persistent racial inequality since the end of apartheid in 1994.