Julius Malema sentenced to five years for firing rifle at rally in 2018

South African opposition politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle into the air during a political rally.

Malema, 45, was convicted in October 2025 on five charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place, linked to a 2018 incident at a stadium in Eastern Cape during his party’s fifth anniversary celebrations. A widely circulated video showed him firing live rounds from a semi-automatic rifle.

Handing down the sentence in a packed courtroom, Magistrate Twanet Olivier said the court had sufficient time to “read, peruse and digest” the defence submissions. She cited the seriousness of the offence, while noting Malema was a first-time offender with no prior convictions.

“The sentence imposed should fit the offender as well as the crime. It must be fair to society and blended with a measure of mercy according to the circumstances of each matter,” Olivier said.

In his defence, Malema told the court the firearm did not belong to him and that he fired the shots to energise the crowd, according to SowetanLIVE.

The outspoken lawmaker, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters, was charged alongside his bodyguard, Anton Snyman, who was found not guilty.

Olivier said Malema’s political standing did not influence the court’s findings, but his large following meant he should be held accountable for his actions.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the court, chanting and singing in solidarity. After news emerged that he would be allowed to appeal, they chanted “sigoduka naye”, a Xhosa phrase meaning “we are leaving with him today”, as reported by the BBC.

Throughout the trial and sentencing, Malema maintained the charges were politically motivated, saying they were brought by AfriForum, an advocacy group representing the white Afrikaner minority.

His legal team immediately applied for leave to appeal the decision in a court in KuGompo City. If upheld, the sentence would bar him from serving as a lawmaker.