EFF leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison for a 2018 public shooting incident, a move his party decries as a politically motivated attack on revolutionary leadership.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday following his conviction for illegal possession of a firearm and shooting in public. The charges stem from a 2018 incident where Malema was filmed discharging a rifle into the air during the EFF’s fifth-anniversary celebrations. Magistrate Twanet Olivier ruled that the 45-year-old politician deliberately violated firearm laws, emphasizing that the act was a matter of criminal recklessness rather than a symbolic gesture.
The EFF has vehemently condemned the sentencing, labeling it a “highly politicized” attempt to criminalize revolutionary voices. In a scathing statement, the party argued that the custodial sentence is disproportionate given that no one was harmed during the celebratory event. Defense lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi highlighted procedural irregularities during the trial, including the state’s decision to return a firearm to Malema’s acquitted co-accused before the final judgment was even delivered.
In addition to domestic grievances, the EFF alleged that the prosecution was influenced by international reactionary forces, including right-wing organizations and U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite the legal blow, the party has called for calm among its supporters while Malema’s legal team filed an immediate appeal against the ruling. The case continues to polarize South Africa, reflecting deep-seated tensions between the country’s radical opposition and the national prosecuting authority.
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