EFF’s Marshall Dlamini handed suspended sentence for assault

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secretary-general Marshall Dlamini has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for five years.

Dlamini appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court on Friday where Magistrate Nasha Banwari handed down the sentence.

The EFF SG was also sentenced to a fine of R6 000 or three months in prison for malicious damage to property. 

Watch the EFF outside the Cape Town Regional Court to support Marshall Dlamini

During sentencing, Banwari said Dlamini is “unlikely to react similarly in the future,” acknowledging that his response was made in his capacity as head of security for the EFF.

“I am prepared to accept that, indeed, a lesson has been learned.” Dlamini was found guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and malicious damage to property in April this year, after he assaulted a member of the Parliamentary Protection Services during the State of the Nation Address (Sona) in February 2019.

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Judgement and conviction appeal

The EFF said it had taken note of the judgement against Dlamini.

The red berets said Dlamini intends to appeal both the judgement and the conviction by the Cape Town Magistrates Court.

“The rationale used by the court in its sentencing reaffirms our view that the case in its entirety was vindictive and is part of a broader attempt to provoke and then criminalise the leadership of the EFF.

“It is our firm view that there was a predetermined agenda to prevent the EFF leadership from executing its legislative responsibilities at the SONA on that day, and that prevention was physical. On the very morning of SONA 2019, police communicated that there was a threat against the CIC Julius Malema and this was confirmed on the witness stand by police in the court,” the EFF said

EFF reaction

EFF MP Carl Niehaus pledged his full support for Dlamini after the court ruling.

“Deeply disturbing that Commissar Dlamini was given an 18 months suspended sentence for 5 years, and fined when he was acting in defence of and to protect our Commander In Chief President Julius Malema.”

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