By Charmaine Ndlela
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has said his party will hold a peaceful demonstration outside the East London Magistrate’s Court next week as he returns for pre-sentencing proceedings in his firearms discharge case.
“There is nothing negative about protesting. The Constitution allows people to protest. We will be peacefully protesting at the court,” he said at a press briefing on Thursday.
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Malema was convicted in October 2025 after the same court found him guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, failing to take reasonable precautions to prevent danger, and reckless endangerment.
The charges stemmed from a 2018 incident at the EFF’s fifth anniversary rally at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, where video footage showed him firing a rifle into the air. His former bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, was acquitted.
Malema said the case was political, not merely criminal.
“We’ve already said we will appeal the judgment. The State has filed its heads of argument and is calling for direct imprisonment of 15 years. You can see that someone is doing everything in their power to get me into jail,” he said.
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“It’s a legal battle that we will fight. In South Africa, you don’t use the courts to settle political scores,” he said.
A prison sentence of more than 12 months, if upheld through the appeal process, could disqualify Malema from Parliament. The EFF is the fourth-biggest party in Parliament and holds about 10% of the seats.
The pre-sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue on 15 and 16 April.
