'As a revolutionary, going to prison or death is a badge of honour' - Malema

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says being arrested is a badge of honour for revolutionaries.

Malema was found guilty of discharging a firearm in public in the East London Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

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The case relates to a 2018 rally in Mdantsane, where he fired shots into the air in close proximity to thousands of supporters.

The court ruled that Malema's actions directly endangered the lives of those in attendance.

While Malema insisted that he’s unfazed by his conviction, he said he would appeal the court’s ruling.

"We are not fighting the case; we are fighting racism. Pure racism that we have been subjected to for the past seven years. Mediocrity of the highest order."

With Malema set to return to court for sentencing in January, he maintained that being arrested was not as bad as it may seem.

"As a revolutionary, going to prison or death is a badge of honour. We cannot be scared of going to prison or dying for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they must know that we will never retreat from the seven cardinal pillars of the EFF, and at the centre of those is the expropriation of land without compensation."

The Criminal Law Amendment Act states that if a person is found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, the minimum sentence can be 15 years' imprisonment.