By Andrew Kariuki

Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and discharging it in public.

The sentence was delivered at the East London Magistrate’s Court by Magistrate Twanet Olivier, who ruled that the act was deliberate and not spontaneous.

“It wasn’t… an impulsive act. It was the event of the evening,” the magistrate stated in her ruling.

Malema, who appeared in court dressed in a dark suit and red tie, showed little reaction as the sentence was read.

His legal team immediately filed an appeal, effectively halting his immediate imprisonment as the matter moves to a higher court. The length of the sentence, if upheld, could have serious implications for his position as a Member of Parliament.

The charges stem from a 2018 incident during the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Economic Freedom Fighters in the Eastern Cape, where Malema was captured on video firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air.

He was convicted on multiple counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place, and reckless endangerment.

In his defence, Malema argued that the firearm did not belong to him and that he discharged it to energise the crowd.

However, the court found that the conduct posed a risk to public safety, forming the basis of the conviction and subsequent sentencing.

Following his conviction last year, Malema had signaled his willingness to challenge the decision through all legal avenues, including the Constitutional Court.

“Going to prison or death is a badge of honour… we will never retreat,” he said at the time.

Malema, a former youth leader of the African National Congress before founding the EFF, has built a political profile around radical economic policies, including land redistribution and wealth rebalancing.

The case was initiated through a private prosecution by AfriForum after footage of the incident circulated widely online.

The appeal process is now expected to determine whether the conviction and sentence will stand, in a case that carries both legal and political consequences.