By George Ndeto

Leading South African opposition politician Julius Malema, 45, Julius Malema has vowed to appeal to the highest court in the land after being sentenced to five years of direct imprisonment on April 16, 2026, at the East London Magistrate’s Court.

The charges stem from a 2018 incident at a rally in Mdantsane where Malema was filmed discharging a rifle.

Magistrate Twanet Olivier handed down a five-year term for unlawful possession of a firearm and two years for ammunition, to run concurrently, while his former bodyguard Adriaan Snyman was acquitted.

Despite the severe sentence, Malema remains out of jail as the magistrate granted him leave to appeal the sentencing, effectively suspending the execution of the prison term pending the outcome in a higher court.

His legal status as a Member of Parliament remains active for now, though a final upheld sentence of more than 12 months could eventually lead to his disqualification. Malema has dismissed the ruling as a “flawed” and “politically motivated” attack.