South African politician Julius Malema sentenced to prison for firing gun

Magistrate hands the absorption fig five-year term, that his lawyers accidental volition beryllium appealed.

South African absorption person Julius Malema has been sentenced to situation clip for firing a firearm successful ⁠the aerial astatine a enactment rally.

Malema, the person of the far-left absorption Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was handed a five-year condemnation connected Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier.

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Malema, who is 1 of South Africa’s astir salient politicians, was convicted past twelvemonth of charges, including unlawful possession of a ⁠firearm and discharging a limb successful a nationalist spot implicit the 2018 incidental astatine a stadium successful the Eastern Cape province.

The 45-year-old person of the fourth-biggest enactment successful parliament had pleaded not guilty, arguing the weapon was a toy. His defence said the shots were lone intended to beryllium celebratory.

“It wasn’t … an impulsive act,” the magistrate said. “It was the lawsuit of the evening.”

The tribunal sentenced Malema to 5 years for unlawful possession of a firearm and 2 years for unlawful possession of ammunition. It gave him fines for ⁠three different offences, including discharging a firearm successful a built-up area, with ⁠prison clip if helium doesn’t pay. The sentences volition tally astatine the aforesaid time.

An Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) protagonist holds up a placard arsenic supporters stitchery extracurricular tribunal up of South African absorption person Julius Malema’s quality for sentencing aft being convicted of charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a limb successful public, successful KuGompo City, South Africa, April 16, 2026. [Esa Alexander/Reuters]

Within ⁠minutes of the magistrate’s determination being ⁠read retired successful the tribunal successful KuGompo City, formerly East London, connected Thursday, Malema’s lawyers applied for permission to entreaty – a petition that was aboriginal granted.

Meanwhile, extracurricular the court, hundreds of Malema’s red-clad EFF supporters gathered for the sentencing successful the politically charged case.

The EFF – a tiny but vocal enactment – says the lawsuit is an effort to soundlessness its outspoken leader, who is known for fiery speeches. Party supporters person threatened protests should their person beryllium jailed.

The magistrate stressed it “is not a governmental enactment who has been convicted present … it is simply a person, an individual.”

The maximum imaginable condemnation was 15 years successful prison. If confirmed aft each appeals, Thursday’s five-year condemnation would barroom Malema from serving arsenic a lawmaker.

That would beryllium a large setback to the EFF, which has beardown enactment among young South Africans frustrated by the radical inequality that has persisted since the extremity of achromatic number regularisation successful 1994.