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A South African court sentenced opposition politician Julius Malema on Thursday to five years in prison for firing a rifle into the air during an Economic Freedom Fighters political rally in 2018, an incident that formed the basis of the case.
Lawyers representing Julius Malema swiftly lodged an appeal to stop plans to take the Economic Freedom Fighters leader into custody.
The length of the sentence could potentially lead to the 45-year-old losing his position as a Member of Parliament.
Dressed in a dark suit paired with a red tie, Malema showed little emotion inside the East London Magistrate’s Court as Magistrate Twanet Olivier delivered the ruling.
Malema was convicted last year on five counts, among them unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, firing a weapon in a public setting, and reckless endangerment.
The charges stem from a 2018 incident in which footage surfaced showing him discharging several rounds from a semi-automatic rifle into the air during the party’s fifth anniversary celebrations in the Eastern Cape Province.
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Court Rejects Defence
In his defence, Julius Malema told the court that the firearm did not belong to him, explaining that he fired the shots merely to energise the crowd, according to reports by SowetanLIVE at the time.
However, in delivering her sentencing decision, Magistrate Twanet Olivier rejected that argument, stating that the act “wasn’t… an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening,” as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Malema has built a longstanding reputation as a vocal, charismatic, and radical left-wing political figure.
From ANC Youth Leader to Founding the EFF
Julius Malema previously served as leader of the youth wing of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
However, he was later expelled following a bitter fallout with then President Jacob Zuma, after which he went on to establish the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
Fuelled by Malema’s calls for the seizure of land owned by white South Africans and his push for greater redistribution of wealth to the black majority, the EFF grew in influence and emerged as the country’s fourth-largest party during the 2024 elections.
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Defiant Message to Supporters After Conviction
After being convicted last October, Malema addressed supporters gathered outside the court in East London, declaring that “going to prison or death is a badge of honour”.
“We cannot be scared of prison (or) to die for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they must know we will never retreat,” he said.
He also pledged to challenge the ruling all the way to South Africa’s highest judicial body, the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
AfriForum Complaint Triggered Prosecution
The prosecution against Malema followed a complaint filed by AfriForum, an Afrikaner lobby group known for its tense relationship with both Malema and the EFF, after footage of the incident circulated widely online.
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EFF leader Julius Malema in the dock at the KuGompo City Magistrates Court on April 15,2026 PHOTO/EFF