South African opposition leader Julius Malema was sentenced ‌to five years in jail on Thursday for firing a rifle in the air at a rally, a judgement that could bar the prominent campaigner from parliament.

The 45-year-old stayed in court in KuGompo City as magistrates ​considered whether to accept an appeal against the sentence. It was not immediately ​clear if that process would delay his transfer to prison.

Malema, head of ⁠the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters, the fourth-biggest party in parliament, was convicted last year on five ​charges after firing the gun at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province in 2018.

“It is clear that ​if crimes are allowed to go unchecked and unpunished, it poses a serious threat to our democratic state,” magistrate Twanet Olivier said before delivering the sentence.

The court sentenced Malema to five years in prison ​for unlawful possession of a firearm and two years for unlawful possession of ammunition.

It gave ​him fines for the other three offences, including discharging a firearm in a built-up area with prison ‌time ⁠if he doesn’t pay. The sentences will run at the same time.

Consequences of Malema’s jail term

According to South Africa’s constitution, a prison sentence of 12 months or more, if confirmed after all appeals, would bar Malema from serving as a lawmaker.

That would be a major setback for his party, ​which has strong support ​among young South ⁠Africans frustrated by the racial inequality that has persisted since the end of white minority rule in 1994.

The Economic Freedom Fighters advocate ​nationalising mines and seizing land from white farmers.

The state prosecutor had ​told the court ⁠on Thursday it would set a bad precedent if Malema got off without jail time and urged the magistrate to impose the maximum possible sentence of 15 years.

Malema’s lawyers had argued ⁠he ​did not intend to cause any harm by firing ​the gun in a celebratory gesture and called for a more lenient sentence, such as a fine.