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Court hands Malema five-year sentence for illegal firearm use
The leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of illegally possessing a gun and firing it in public. Magistrate Twanet Olivier delivered the ruling in KuGompo City, formerly known as East London, on Thursday.
Malema avoids immediate imprisonment
Despite the sentence, Malema will not serve time behind bars immediately. The court granted him leave to appeal, allowing him to remain free while the legal process unfolds. Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, the 45-year-old politician showed little reaction as the verdict was read, though his political career hung in the balance.
Incident stems from 2018 celebration video
The charges relate to a 2018 incident during the EFF's fifth-anniversary celebrations in the Eastern Cape. A video circulated online showing Malema firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air. During the trial, Malema argued the shots were part of the festivities, but Magistrate Olivier dismissed this claim.
"It wasn't an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening,"
Magistrate Twanet Olivier
Olivier noted that while Malema's political influence did not sway her decision, his status as a public figure with a large following demanded accountability for his actions.
Malema alleges conspiracy, vows defiance
Outside the courthouse, Malema addressed supporters, accusing the judiciary of targeting him to silence his political voice. Without providing evidence, he claimed the conviction was part of a broader conspiracy.
"They are trying by all means to silence this voice. They will never win. We are fighting the enemy, and the enemy is white supremacy."
Julius Malema
Hundreds of loyalists gathered in support, chanting revolutionary songs. When news of the appeal broke, the crowd erupted in Xhosa, shouting, "Sigoduka naye" ("We are leaving with him today").
Political rise and legal battles
Once the youth leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Malema was expelled in 2012 after clashing with then-President Jacob Zuma. He later founded the EFF, a left-wing party advocating for land expropriation without compensation and wealth redistribution. The EFF's radical platform eroded the ANC's voter base, propelling it to become South Africa's fourth-largest party in the 2024 elections.
Malema has framed his legal troubles as a badge of honor. After his October conviction, he declared, "Going to prison or death is a badge of honor. We cannot be scared of prison or to die for the revolution." He has pledged to challenge the ruling up to the Constitutional Court.
Controversies and past convictions
The case against Malema was initiated by AfriForum, an Afrikaner lobby group with a contentious history with the EFF. The organization also played a role in a separate 2023 hate speech conviction against Malema. The equality court ruled that remarks he made in 2022-urging supporters to "never be scared to kill" after a white man allegedly assaulted an EFF member-constituted incitement to harm.
Malema's use of the apartheid-era struggle song "Shoot the Boer" has also drawn criticism. While Afrikaner groups have sought to ban the song, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in 2022 that it was not hate speech, as a "reasonably well-informed person" would recognize its historical context.
The controversy even reached the White House. Last May, U.S. President Donald Trump raised the song during a tense meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, highlighting its polarizing impact.
