By Jenni Evans.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secretary-general Marshall Dlamini has been sentenced in the Cape Town Regional Court to 18 months in prison, suspended for five years, for assaulting policeman Johan Carstens in Parliament in 2019.
Dlamini was also sentenced to a fine of R6 000 or three months in prison for malicious damage to property.
“I am prepared to accept that, indeed, a lesson had been learned,” said Magistrate Nasha Banwari in pre-sentencing remarks about why she had not chosen a custodial sentence.
Dlamini was charged with assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, as well as damage to property, following an incident after the 2019 State of the Nation Address.
Banwari convicted him of assaulting Carstens and breaking his glasses during the incident in the lobby of the National Assembly on 7 February 2019.
In his defence, Dlamini claimed that he thought EFF leader Julius Malema was going to be attacked.
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.