South African Politician Julius Malema Sentenced to Five Years Over 2018 Firearm Incident

Julius Malema, the founder and leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters, was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier at the KuGompo City Magistrate's Court, formerly known as East London, for firing a rifle into the air at a political rally in 2018. Malema, 45, had been convicted in October 2025 on five charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place, following an incident at the EFF's fifth anniversary celebrations at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province. The court rejected the defense's argument that Malema had used a toy gun loaded with blank cartridges rather than live ammunition. Thousands of EFF supporters, many dressed in the party's signature red, gathered outside the courthouse to await the verdict, standing in silence as the sentence was read out.

„This responsibility stems from your position” — Twanet Olivier via The New York Times

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 after being expelled from the ruling African National Congress for "sowing division," according to The Guardian. The EFF describes itself as anti-imperialist and inspired by Marxism, and has built a base among young, economically marginalized South Africans frustrated by racial inequality that has persisted since the end of white minority rule in 1994. In August 2025, Malema was also found guilty of hate speech for remarks made during a 2022 rally in which he told supporters they "should never be afraid to kill," according to RTP.

Parliamentary seat hangs on years of appeals Under South African law, a sentence of more than 12 months in prison without the option of paying a fine disqualifies a person from serving as a lawmaker. Malema's lawyers applied for leave to appeal within minutes of the sentence being read out, and he was released on bail pending the outcome of that process. The appeal could take years to conclude, meaning Malema may retain his parliamentary seat in the interim. Magistrate Olivier rejected the maximum possible sentence of 15 years, but stated that the court could not "justify the commission of a crime under the pretext that these were celebratory shots," according to the Financial Times. On the remaining four counts, Malema received sentences ranging from two years to fines of 20,000 rand — equivalent to approximately 1,035 euros — or six months in prison, all to be served concurrently with the primary five-year term, according to RTP.

5 (years) — prison sentence handed down to Julius Malema

Trump's White House attacks shadowed the case The EFF won 9.5 (percent) — EFF share of the vote in South Africa's 2024 elections, securing 39 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly and making it the fourth-largest party in parliament. Malema and his allies have consistently described the legal proceedings against him as politically motivated. During a May 2025 meeting at the White House between United States President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump played a video showing Malema leading crowds in an anti-apartheid song that calls for the killing of white Afrikaner farmers. Trump cited the footage as evidence that Afrikaners faced genocide — a claim Bloomberg described as false — and questioned why no action had been taken against Malema. Supporters of the song have argued it is a symbolic call to defeat the apartheid-era white minority regime, and South African courts have ruled it does not constitute a literal incitement to violence.

„Going to jail or dying is a badge of honor” — Julius Malema via El País

Fears of unrest echo the Zuma jailing in 2021 The sentencing has raised concerns about potential civil unrest, drawing comparisons to the imprisonment of former South African President Jacob Zuma in 2021, who received a 15-month sentence for contempt of a corruption inquiry. According to the Financial Times, the riots that followed Zuma's jailing disrupted supply chains across major cities and caused economic damage running into billions of rand, ultimately requiring military deployments to Johannesburg and Durban. Malema, like Zuma — his former mentor — has demonstrated a capacity to mobilize large numbers of supporters, particularly among young and economically marginalized voters. His political appeal has long rested on channeling anger over inequality, unemployment and land ownership. Prosecutors, for their part, rejected claims of political motivation, arguing in court that they "stand for the rule of law" and administer justice "without fear or favor," according to The New York Times. The outcome of the appeals process, which legal analysts say could take years, will ultimately determine whether Malema's parliamentary career survives the conviction.

„Keep in mind that it was not a political party that was convicted here” — Twanet Olivier via RTP