East London, SOUTH AFRICA – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of the illegal possession of a firearm and discharging it in public.
Okay News reports that the sentence was handed down on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in the East London Magistrates’ Court. Malema, 45, stood impassive in a dark suit and red tie as Magistrate Twanet Olivier delivered the judgment. The conviction stems from a 2018 video showing Malema firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air during the EFF’s fifth-anniversary celebrations in the Eastern Cape.
Malema’s legal team, led by Advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, immediately signaled their intention to appeal the decision. The appeal process is expected to prevent the firebrand politician from being taken into custody immediately. However, if the five-year sentence is upheld, it would legally disqualify Malema from serving as a Member of Parliament, dealing a massive blow to the EFF ahead of future elections.
The case, which was initiated after the Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum filed a formal complaint, has been a flashpoint for political tension in South Africa. Outside the court, where heavy police presence remained, Malema had previously told supporters that “going to prison or death is a badge of honour” for the revolution.
