Julius Malema, the charismatic leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has been sentenced to five years in prison for illegal firearm possession and discharging a weapon in public. However, Magistrate Twanet Olivier has allowed the 45-year-old opposition figure to appeal the verdict, meaning he won't be incarcerated immediately.
Malema stood impassively in East London court as the sentence was delivered, wearing a dark suit and red tie despite the high stakes for his political career. The charges stem from a 2018 incident captured on video where Malema fired a semi-automatic rifle into the air during his party's fifth anniversary celebrations in the Eastern Cape province.
"It wasn't an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening," Magistrate Olivier stated during sentencing, as reported by AFP.
While noting that Malema's political standing didn't influence her decision, Olivier emphasized that as someone with substantial public influence, he must be held accountable for his actions.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the courthouse, chanting revolutionary songs and showing solidarity with their leader. When news broke that Malema would be allowed to appeal, the crowd erupted in Xhosa chants of "sigoduka naye"—"we are leaving with him today."
Malema's defense argued that the firearm wasn't his and that he fired the shots to energize the crowd. Last October, after being convicted on five charges including reckless endangerment, Malema told supporters outside the court: "Going to prison or death is a badge of honour. We cannot be scared of prison or to die for the revolution."
The prosecution was initiated by AfriForum, an Afrikaner lobby group that has frequently clashed with Malema and the EFF. This isn't Malema's first legal battle—last August, he was found guilty of hate speech by an equality court for remarks made at a 2022 rally.
Malema has vowed to challenge the judgment all the way to South Africa's Constitutional Court. Once the youth leader of the ruling African National Congress before being expelled, Malema formed the EFF, which has grown to become the country's fourth-largest political party, advocating for radical economic transformation including land redistribution.