South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and discharging it in public, in a case that has intensified political tensions in the country.
The 45-year-old leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and member of parliament was convicted on multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, and firing a weapon in a public space. The charges stem from a 2018 incident in the Eastern Cape, where Malema was captured on video firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air during the EFF’s fifth anniversary celebrations.
Delivering the sentence at the East London court, Magistrate Twanet Olivier ruled that the act was deliberate rather than impulsive, describing it as a central moment of the event. Despite the sentence, Malema will not be immediately incarcerated after being granted leave to appeal both the conviction and sentencing.
Appearing in court in a dark suit and red tie, Malema showed little visible reaction as the ruling was read. In his defense, he had previously argued that the firearm did not belong to him and that his actions were intended to energize the crowd.
The ruling triggered strong reactions from supporters, with hundreds gathering outside the courthouse in solidarity. EFF loyalists chanted and sang revolutionary songs, celebrating the decision to allow an appeal with the phrase “sigoduka naye,” meaning “we are leaving with him today.”
Malema, a polarizing and influential figure in South African politics, rose to prominence as the former leader of the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC) before his expulsion following a fallout with former President Jacob Zuma. He later founded the EFF, positioning it as a radical left-wing alternative advocating land redistribution and economic transformation.
Under his leadership, the EFF has steadily gained traction, emerging as South Africa’s fourth-largest political party in the 2024 general elections, partly by challenging the ANC’s traditional voter base.
Following his conviction last year, Malema struck a defiant tone, telling supporters that imprisonment or death would be “a badge of honour” in the struggle for revolution. He has pledged to take his legal challenge as far as the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
The case was initially brought forward by Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum, which has had a longstanding and contentious relationship with Malema and the EFF.
Separately, Malema was found guilty of hate speech in August by an equality court over remarks made at a 2022 rally, which the court ruled demonstrated intent to incite harm, though the EFF has maintained that his comments were taken out of context.
