South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm, discharging it in public, and reckless endangerment — offences carrying a minimum sentence of 15 years under the Firearms Control Act.
The conviction stems from a 2018 incident where a video surfaced showing Malema firing multiple live rounds from a semi-automatic rifle during the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) fifth anniversary celebrations in the Eastern Cape. Prosecutors accused him of firing up to 15 shots before a crowd of 20,000 party supporters.
Malema, who stood trial alongside his former bodyguard Adriaan Snyman — later acquitted — denied the charges, insisting the firearm was not his and claiming he fired the shots only to excite the crowd. However, magistrate Twanet Olivier ruled otherwise, declaring after three days of hearings: “You are found guilty as charged.”
The case has been postponed to January 2026 for pre-sentencing.
Unfazed by the ruling, Malema told his supporters outside the East London regional court that prison or even death would be a “badge of honour.”
“We cannot be scared of prison [or] to die for the revolution. Whatever they want to do, they must know we will never retreat,” he declared, vowing to appeal the judgment, even up to the Constitutional Court.
The prosecution was initiated after Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum filed a case when the video went viral. AfriForum has long clashed with Malema and was also behind a hate speech complaint that led to his conviction in August, when a court ruled that his inflammatory remarks — including comments about killing in the name of revolution — amounted to incitement.
Malema’s fiery rhetoric and radical stance on land reform have made him one of South Africa’s most controversial political figures. He has repeatedly called for the seizure of white-owned land and accused the ruling elite of failing to transfer wealth to the black majority. Internationally, his reputation has also sparked disputes: the UK denied him entry last year over his comments on Hamas and white South Africans, while US President Donald Trump once cited him in a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of discredited claims of “genocide” against Afrikaners.
The ruling has been welcomed by some opponents. Ian Cameron of the Democratic Alliance described the verdict as a blow against a “culture of chaos, violence and criminality” that Malema embodies.
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Legal experts say Malema faces a strong possibility of serving a prison term. Lawyer Ulrich Roux told the BBC: “He now needs to present evidence to the court to show why he should not receive the minimum sentence of 15 years.”
If upheld, the conviction could significantly alter Malema’s political future. Under South African law, anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine is disqualified from serving as an MP — though only once the appeals process has concluded.
For now, Malema remains defiant, rallying his supporters and framing the judgment as part of a broader struggle against oppression.
Melissa Enoch
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