The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has come out in defence of its leader Julius Malema, threatening legal action after the East London Magistrates’ Court found him guilty of discharging a firearm in public without lawful cause.

His sentencing is scheduled for January 23.

In 2018, a video emerged showing Malema firing several shots in the air during his party's fifth anniversary celebrations held in the country's Eastern Cape province.

Responding to the judgment, the EFF said Malema’s case had been “maliciously” pursued for more than seven years, and the party was seeking legal advice, with the intention to appeal the ruling.

The party said it trusted that higher courts would expose what it termed “weaknesses and contradictions” in the prosecution.

The EFF claimed that Malema’s case had been dragged through the courts, not because of compelling evidence, but because of a “political agenda”.

“It is no surprise that the State has pursued this matter to this point, for there have always been coordinated attempts to discredit and sabotage the EFF and its leadership. From the moment CIC [commander in chief] Malema and the EFF fearlessly confronted corruption in the highest offices, demanded land expropriation without compensation, and exposed the capture of the State by both local and global capital, the system has sought to silence him by any means necessary,” the party said.

The EFF said it was not shocked by the outcome of the judgment, arguing that the “racist, right-wing” US President Donald Trump had openly issued an instruction for the arrest of Malema.

In May, Trump called for Malema’s arrest for repeatedly chanting "kill the boer".

“This has created a political climate in which the judiciary is influenced by imperialist and right-wing agendas rather than evidence and fairness.

“This judgment is part of a wider pattern, as CIC has faced a series of politically motivated prosecutions in the past. He was dragged before courts on charges relating to freedom of speech and the singing of our very own struggle songs, as well as encouraging his own organisation to stand up to white racists in the case of Brackenfell,” stated the EFF.

The EFF also raised concerns about the apparent conduct of the magistrate, particularly the acceptance of what the party said was “hearsay evidence that was not tested in court”.

“…such practices undermine the fairness and integrity of judicial proceedings. When the State previously failed to prosecute the CIC on trumped-up charges that were dismissed, it became clear that the intention has always been to persecute him in any way possible, regardless of merits or evidence,” the party said.

The EFF said that the decision to acquit Malema’s former bodyguard Adriaan Snyman, who was alleged to have handed the firearm to the EFF leader, was “hypocritical and proves a political agenda”.

“…yet the individual he is accused of handing the firearm to has been found guilty. This proves that this was a witch hunt to target the president of the EFF and find him guilty no matter how irrational it may be,” the party said.