South Africa’s firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of firing a rifle into the air during a political rally – an incident that could ultimately cost him his seat in parliament.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier, who warned that failing to punish such conduct risks undermining the country’s democratic order. Malema, 45, had been convicted last year on multiple charges linked to the 2018 incident at a stadium in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
However, in a development that offers temporary relief to the outspoken politician, a court in KuGompo City granted him permission to appeal the sentence. He was released shortly afterward and will remain free until the appeal is heard by a higher court.
Outside the courtroom, hundreds of supporters from his party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), gathered in large numbers. Dressed in the party’s signature red berets, they sang and chanted in a show of solidarity as proceedings unfolded.
Legal analyst Ulrich Roux noted that Malema will not be taken into custody while the appeal process is ongoing. The EFF leader has already signaled his intention to challenge the ruling all the way to the Constitutional Court, a move that could stretch the legal battle over several years.
The court handed Malema five years for unlawful possession of a firearm and an additional two years for possessing ammunition without authorization. He was also fined on three other counts, including discharging a firearm in a built-up area, with the possibility of further jail time if the fines are not paid. All sentences will run concurrently.
Prosecutors had pushed for a tougher penalty, arguing that anything less than a custodial sentence would set a dangerous precedent. Malema’s defense team, however, maintained that the firearm was discharged as a celebratory act and not with intent to harm.
If the sentence is upheld after all appeals, Malema could be disqualified from holding public office under South African law, which bars lawmakers sentenced to more than 12 months in prison. Such an outcome would deal a significant blow to the EFF, a party that has built strong support among young South Africans frustrated by enduring inequality since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The EFF is known for its radical economic policies, including calls to nationalize mines and redistribute land from white-owned farms—positions that have made Malema both a popular and polarizing figure in South African politics.
