Malema’s legal team rejects claim that fine equals buying freedom

Julius Malema’s legal team has rejected the state’s claim that imposing a fine would amount to the EFF leader buying his way out of a prison sentence.

Malema is appearing at the East London magistrate’s court this Friday for a pre-sentencing hearing in his firearm discharge case.

During the cross-examination of a social worker, prosecutor Joel Caeser suggested that issuing a fine would allow Malema to use money to avoid imprisonment.

This followed the social worker’s proposal that Malema receive a suspended fine rather than a custodial sentence.

However, Malema’s legal representative, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, has argued that a fine remains a lawful sentencing option.

"The first difficulty which perhaps we can address is that a fine is part of the sentencing architecture of this country. It's in the legislation. What impact does that actually have on particular biases against people who are perceived to occupy a certain level of status in society?"