South African Opposition Leader, Julius Malema Sentenced to 5-yr Imprisonment Over 2018 Firearm Case
South African opposition political figure, and parliamentarian of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Mr. Julius Malema has been sentenced to a five-year jail term by a Magistrate Court over a 2018 firearm case.
Mr. Malema, 45 is an outspoken and most prominent Southern African politician who has been a thorn on many ruling governments in South Africa.
Reports indicate that he was convicted last year on five charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place over the 2018 incident at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province.
Malema’s lawyers, however, applied for leave to appeal the magistrate’s decision within minutes of it being read out in a court in KuGompo City, formerly East London
If the the sentence is confirmed at the Appeal Court, Mr. Malema would not be eligible to continue serving as a lawmaker in the South African parliament.
Mr. Malema is a major in the far-left EFF which has continued to advocate for the rights of black people in South Africa. If his conviction is upheld at the Appeal Court, it would be a major setback, not just for the EFF, but for all opposition parties in South Africa.
EFF is the 4th largest party in South Africa and mostly supported by the black population.
Mr. Malema was a keynote Speaker at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference held in Enugu in 2025. the fiery lawmaker has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.