Julius Malema sentenced to five years for 2018 rifle firing

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, was sentenced to an effective five years' imprisonment for firing a rifle at a 2018 political rally. Magistrate Twanet Olivier handed down the sentence on Thursday, 16 April 2026, at the East London Regional Court in the Eastern Cape. The court declared Julius Malema unfit to possess or handle firearms and barred him from owning firearms. Malema's legal team is seeking leave to appeal the conviction and sentence.