Julius Malema has been sentenced to an effective five years’ direct imprisonment by a Regional Court in the Eastern Cape.
The sentence was delivered on Thursday, 16 April 2026, by Magistrate Twanet Olivier at the East London Magistrates’ Court in KuGompo City.
Malema was convicted on five counts under South Africa’s Firearms Control Act, stemming from a 2018 incident at an EFF rally in Mdantsane, where he discharged multiple live rounds from a rifle into the air in front of a large crowd.
In handing down the ruling, the court imposed five years’ imprisonment on the primary count, with additional sentences on other counts running concurrently. As a result, the total effective sentence remains five years. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The prosecution had argued for a harsher sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment, citing the seriousness of the offence and the potential danger posed to the public. The defence, however, urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence, highlighting Malema’s status as a first-time offender and his political and family responsibilities.
Malema’s legal team has confirmed that they will appeal both the conviction and the sentence.