Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in jail after a South African court convicted him of firing a rifle into the air at a 2018 rally. He has been released pending appeal.
South African opposition leader Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in jail on Thursday after a court found him guilty of firing a rifle into the air during an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rally in 2018. The sentence was handed down in KuGompo, formerly East London. Malema was later released on warning after the court granted permission for his legal team to appeal the ruling. The South Africa court ruling now places the future of the EFF leader, his parliament seat, and the appeal process under close public attention.
Hundreds of supporters dressed in the EFF’s red party colours gathered at centres across South Africa to follow the sentencing live. The politically sensitive case drew national attention because Malema remains one of the country’s most visible opposition figures. Many supporters stood outside court buildings and public viewing areas as the judgment was delivered.
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Magistrate Twanet Olivier said the court found that Malema had deliberately broken firearm laws when he discharged the weapon during the rally. According to the ruling, the act was not accidental or spontaneous. The magistrate said the action had been approved and was carried out knowingly.
“The decision to break the law has been made and it was made with the approval of the accused person and the leadership,” Olivier said during sentencing. She added that the act was not impulsive and said Malema knew the gunfire could cause harm to people or property. The South Africa firearm case centred on whether the shooting was unlawful under national gun laws.
Malema’s defence team argued during the trial that the shots were celebratory and not intended to injure anyone. However, the court rejected that explanation and imposed a prison sentence. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence of 15 years after Malema was found guilty in October.
Because of the five-year jail sentence, Malema could lose his seat in parliament. However, that outcome depends on the appeal process now underway. The legal challenge means the final political impact of the South Africa court sentence may not be immediate.
The EFF strongly criticised the ruling and said the prosecution was politically motivated. The party, which follows Marxist principles and is known for strong criticism of the government and business elites, described the case as an effort to silence its leader. Senior EFF parliamentarian Carl Niehaus said the sentence was a “travesty of justice, persecution, and only and totally politically motivated.”
Supporters also reacted with anger and concern. Brenda Van Rooyen, speaking at a gathering of around 300 people in central Johannesburg, said: “It’s a terrible day for us EFF. They must not dare jail him.” The reaction highlighted Malema’s continued support base despite the legal case and conviction.
The magistrate said the matter should not be seen as a case against a political party. She said the conviction applied to one individual and not to the EFF as an organisation. The EFF won under 10 percent of votes in the 2024 general elections and currently holds 39 seats in parliament, making it a smaller but vocal opposition force in South Africa politics.
The sentence was welcomed by the Democratic Alliance, the country’s second largest political party after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress. Party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said gun violence remains a serious problem in South Africa and crimes involving illegal gunfire must be punished strongly. The case was originally brought by AfriForum, a conservative Afrikaner lobby group that has frequently challenged Malema over his public statements and political conduct.
