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4w ago

Malema Sentenced to Five Years for 2018 Gun Offences, Allowed to Appeal Sentence

The sentence appeal delays any ban from Parliament, setting up a prolonged legal fight.

EFF members protest outside the High Court in Johannesburg yesterday in support of party leader Julius Malema, who was granted leave to appeal his five-year sentence. Picture: Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle
A supporter of EFF leader Julius Malema holds a mock gun while gathering with others in Johannesburg yesterday, as they react to a ruling by a court in KuGompo, formerly East London, that sentenced him to five years in jail for firing an assault rifle at a rally eight years ago. Pictures: Phill Magakoe / AFP
EFF leader Julius Malema during a press briefing on 24 July 2025. Picture: X/@EFFSouthAfrica
EFF leader Julius Malema appears at East London Magistrate's Court for sentencing proceedings on April 15, 2026 in East London, South Africa. Malema was convicted of contravening firearm laws, after he was captured on video firing shots into the air with what appeared to be a rifle at a EFF rally in Mdantsane, in 2018. Randell Roskruge/Gallo Images via Getty

Overview

  • Julius Malema, found guilty in October for firing an assault rifle at a 2018 EFF rally, received a five-year prison term on Thursday with leave to appeal the sentence but not the conviction.
  • He was released on warning and keeps his MP seat because South African law only disqualifies lawmakers once a custodial term over 12 months is finally upheld after appeals.
  • After the hearing, Malema attacked the magistrate and prosecutor, and the NPA condemned social media threats against a prosecutor, noting three prosecutors have been killed in the Eastern Cape in two years.
  • Malema’s lawyer said higher courts could reduce the term, arguing there is no clear precedent for sentencing in a case like this that did not involve robbery or murder.
  • Gun Free SA, the South African Gunowners’ Association and AfriForum welcomed the ruling as accountability for misuse of firearms, while analysts said an upheld term could remove Malema from Parliament and destabilise the EFF.