South Africa: Julius Malema, Leader of EFF, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison Over Firearm Offence.

A South African court has handed a five-year prison sentence to Julius Malema, in a ruling that could ultimately disqualify one of the country’s most prominent political figures from serving in parliament.

Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, remained in court in KuGompo City on Thursday as magistrates weighed whether to admit an appeal against the sentence. It was not immediately clear whether that process would delay any transfer to prison.

The 45-year-old was convicted last year on multiple charges stemming from a 2018 rally in the Eastern Cape, where he fired a rifle into the air inside a stadium. Delivering judgment, magistrate Twanet Olivier warned that impunity for such offences would pose “a serious threat to our democratic state”.

The court imposed five years for unlawful possession of a firearm and a further two years for unlawful possession of ammunition, alongside fines for additional offences, including discharging a firearm in a built-up area. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Under South Africa’s constitution, any prison term exceeding 12 months—once all appeals are exhausted—renders an individual ineligible to serve as a lawmaker. For Malema and his party, the implications are significant.

The EFF, parliament’s fourth-largest party, has built a strong following among younger South Africans disillusioned by the enduring inequalities that have persisted since the end of apartheid in 1994. Its platform—centred on the nationalisation of mines and land redistribution—has made Malema both a galvanising and polarising figure in the country’s political landscape.

Prosecutors argued that failing to impose a custodial sentence would set a dangerous precedent, urging the court to consider the maximum penalty of 15 years. Malema’s legal team, by contrast, maintained that the firearm was discharged as part of a celebratory gesture, with no intent to cause harm, and called for a more lenient sanction, such as a fine.

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, during his appearance at the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. (Source: witness.co.za)