288
Julius Malema received a five-year prison sentence on Thursday. The EFF leader was convicted for unlawful firearm discharge at a 2018 rally. However, he remains free while pursuing an appeal.
The sentencing occurred at the KuGompo Magistrates’ Court in the Eastern Cape on 16 April 2026. Magistrate Twanet Olivier handed down the judgment.
Malema, 45, faced five charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. He also discharged a weapon in public at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane. Malema fired shots into the air during the EFF’s fifth birthday celebrations. He later claimed it was in celebration under his bodyguard’s supervision.
AfriForum brought the private prosecution after a video surfaced.The main sentence is five years direct imprisonment. Lesser counts carried fines of R20,000 each or six months in prison, running concurrently.
Addressing supporters outside court, Malema vowed not to spend a single night in prison and accused the magistrate of racism and possible AfriForum links. His lawyers applied for leave to appeal within minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/live/0kHoDgi96Pw?si=3-EPYTpkjg3gsg5W
Disclaimer: This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
Image credit: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
