KuGompo City – Julius Malema has been granted leave to appeal his five-year prison sentence and R60,000 fine for firing a rifle during the EFF’s 2018 anniversary rally in Mdantsane, with the matter now heading to the High Court.
[WATCH] EFF leader Julius Malema’s application for leave to appeal conviction denied. Leave to appeal sentence granted. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/smlgUfF2rY
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) April 16, 2026
The conviction stems from the widely circulated incident, with Malema showing little reaction in court as the sentence was handed down.
MALEMA SENTENCING | Magistrate Twanet Olivier hands down a five-year imprisonment sentence in EFF leader Julius Malema’s firearm discharge case. pic.twitter.com/tuHTkHv8qT
— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 16, 2026
While his legal team argued he has strong prospects of success on appeal, the state maintains the conviction will stand.
In delivering the sentence, the magistrate said the conduct was deliberate and pre-planned, not accidental or impulsive, and involved a conscious decision to break the law in a crowded public space.
Julius Malema judgement:
Count 1- 5 years
Count 2- 2 years
Count 3- R20 000 / 6 months imprisonment
Count 4- R20 000 / 6 month imprisonment
Count 5- R20 000 / 6 months imprisonment
The sentences to run concurrently pic.twitter.com/vZ8NINuBIu— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 16, 2026
