Was the 'assault rifle' Malema 'fired' an AK-47?
1 August 2018
The "assault rifle" EFF leader Julius Malema seemingly fired from stage at a rally after-party at the weekend appears to be an AK-47 "on face value", according to a gun expert.
Advocate John Welch, chairperson of the South African Gunowners' Association, told News24 on Wednesday that the gun appeared to be an AK-47, "which is for many people a symbol of the former struggle". He said it was difficult to be 100% sure.
Welch said that fully automatic assault rifles, such as AK-47s, may only be owned by the government, i.e. the South African Police Service or South African National Defence Force, or category A gun collectors, of which there are fewer than 15 in South Africa.
But regardless of the type of weapon Malema seemingly discharged, Welch describes the act as "unacceptable".