South Africa’s future “cannot be built on bullets and threats.”

This was the response of Ian Cameron, Deputy Spokesperson on Police for the Democratic Alliance (DA) to yesterday’s court finding in East London that found Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), guilty of firearms law violations.

Cameron said: “This case is not simply about Malema’s conduct, but also about the culture of chaos, violence, and criminality that the leader of the EFF embodies and promotes. 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.”

According to Cameron: “South Africa’s firearm laws are clear and apply equally to all. Ordinary citizens face prosecution daily for far less. If equality before the law is to mean anything, then Malema and his cronies must face the full consequences. No political leader should ever be allowed to incite violence or flout the law with impunity.

“We will continue to stand firm against the politics of intimidation and violence that the EFF represents. Our country’s future cannot be built on bullets and threats. It must be built on the rule of law. Today’s conviction is a step toward reaffirming that principle,” Cameron said.

The EFF and its leader have routinely made threats of unleashing violence in South Africa and regularly employ violent rhetoric in their communications and on the campaign trail with these threats often being indulged by commentators, much of the media, and the courts.