- Julius Malema’s sentencing over firing a gun at an EFF rally in 2018 has been delayed to 15 and 16 April 2026.
- A social worker told the court Malema fired the gun in celebration and should not be sent to prison but fined instead.
Julius Malema will have to wait a little longer to find out if he’s going to jail.
The Economic Freedom Fighters leader returned to the East London Regional Court on Friday for sentencing in his gun case. But the matter was postponed to 15 and 16 April 2026.
Malema was found guilty in October on four charges.
They include firing a gun in public, reckless endangerment and having a gun and ammunition without a licence.
The case stems from a rally in Mdantsane in 2018, when Malema was seen on video firing a gun into the air during the EFF’s fifth birthday celebration.
Malema’s legal team argued for a lighter sentence. They brought in top lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi and a social worker named Jessie Thompson.
Thompson said Malema fired the gun in a “celebratory manner” and did not intend to harm anyone. She said his charity work showed he was not the kind of person who should be jailed.
She recommended a suspended fine, a ban on owning a gun and a donation to Gun Free South Africa.
But state prosecutor Joel Caeser pushed back. He said giving Malema a fine would mean he could “buy” his way out of jail.
Ngcukaitobi argued that a fine is a legal sentence, no matter who the person is.
“A fine is part of the sentencing structure in this country,” he told the court.
About 80 buses brought EFF supporters from across the country to East London. They stood outside court in red uniforms watching on big screens.
Meanwhile, some sang struggle songs inside the court. When told to stop, they hummed and even asked to be allowed to pray.
Regional NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the October 2025 verdict was a reaffirmation of the NPA’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
“Contrary to the recommendation by the social worker for imposition of a fine or suspended sentence, the state will pray for a custodial sentence when arguing in aggravation of sentence,” he said.
Pictured above: The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, inside the East London Regional Court on Friday.
Image source: Economic Freedom Fighters/Facebook Page
