Cape Town – EFF leader Julius Malema has been found guilty in the East London magistrate’s court of discharging a rifle during a rally in the Eastern Cape.
He faces sentencing on 23 January 2025.
If sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine, the constitution will bar him from serving as an MP for five years after completing his sentence, Times Live reported.
The report quoted legal expert Shadi Maganoe as saying that the offence carries a possible 15‑year jail term under the Firearms Control Act, though the court may impose a suspended sentence depending on factors such as public risk, first-time offending and remorse.
“Under the Firearms Control Act, it is an offence to discharge a firearm in a public place or built-up area, or in a manner likely to endanger people or property. The offence carries the possibility of a jail sentence of up to 15 years, though there’s no mandatory minimum,” the report quoted Maganoe as saying.
Malema has vowed to appeal all the way to the Constitutional Court, calling the judgment racist and politically motivated.
EFF leader Julius Malema has vowed to fight his firearm conviction, accusing the court of bias and racism.
Speaking after the verdict, he said the judgment was “faulty” and pledged to appeal it up to the Constitutional Court.
Malema told supporters the case was designed to… pic.twitter.com/pU8nDUAGIB
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) October 1, 2025
He accused magistrate Twanet Olivier of targeting him while acquitting his co-accused, Adriaan Snyman.
Olivier, however, described the state’s witnesses and ballistic evidence as reliable and criticised Malema’s evasive testimony.
Video footage from multiple sources showed Malema firing the rifle.
Despite the guilty verdict, Malema told his supporters not to lose hope, saying imprisonment would be a “badge of honour” for the EFF’s cause.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
