South African opposition politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air at an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rally in Mdantsane in 2018.
Magistrate Twanet Olivier (pictured) handed down the sentence at the KuGompo City Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 16 April 2026, following a two-day sentencing hearing.
On count 1, unlawful possession of a semi-automatic firearm, Malema received five years’ imprisonment. On count 2, unlawful possession of ammunition, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
On counts 3, 4 and 5 — unlawful discharge of a firearm in a built-up area, failure to take reasonable precautions to avoid endangering others, and reckless endangerment of person or property — Olivier imposed a fine of R20,000 or six months’ imprisonment in default of payment.
The court ordered that counts 3, 4 and 5 run concurrently with count 1, resulting in an effective sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
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