South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been convicted of violating the country’s firearm laws after a magistrate found him guilty on Wednesday for discharging a rifle during a political rally in 2018.
Malema, the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was charged under the Firearms Control Act following an incident at his party’s fifth-anniversary celebration in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape Province. Video footage from the event showed the politician firing several rounds into the air while addressing thousands of supporters, an act that quickly went viral and sparked public debate.
Alongside Malema, his former bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, faced charges for allegedly supplying the weapon. However, Snyman was acquitted, prompting Malema to accuse the presiding magistrate, Twanet Olivier, of racial bias, claiming Snyman’s acquittal was due to his being white.
The case was initiated by Afriforum, a lobby group representing Afrikaner interests, which laid criminal charges against Malema soon after the 2018 incident. During the trial, Malema argued that the firearm seen in the footage was a replica or toy gun, a defense the court dismissed. Magistrate Olivier ruled that the evidence presented established that the weapon was a real firearm and that Malema had contravened the law.
The conviction marks a significant legal setback for Malema, a controversial figure in South African politics known for his fiery rhetoric and uncompromising stance on land reform and economic inequality. The EFF leader has previously faced multiple legal challenges, including cases involving incitement and corruption, though he has often framed these battles as politically motivated attempts to silence him.
Sentencing in the firearm case is expected to follow, though the court has not yet announced a date.
Malema and his party have not issued an official statement on the ruling, but his comments in court suggest that he intends to challenge both the verdict and what he perceives as institutional bias within South Africa’s justice system.
