EFF's Malema Vows Consequences for AfriForum if They Gain Power
- Julius Malema warned AfriForum of severe consequences if the EFF comes to power
- Malema claims AfriForum is using the legal system for political objectives against him
- AfriForum brought the private prosecution that led to his conviction on several charges
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Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
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EASTERN CAPE, EAST LONDON - EFF leader Julius Malema on Friday, 23 January 2026, lashed out at lobby group AfriForum, warning that it would face severe consequences should his party ever come to power.
Malema accused AfriForum of using the legal system
Malema made the remarks outside the East London Magistrate’s Court, where he appeared in connection with his firearm conviction linked to an incident at an EFF anniversary rally in Mdantsane in 2018. AfriForum brought the private prosecution that led to his conviction on charges including unlawful possession and discharge of a firearm, as well as reckless endangerment. The matter has been postponed to 15 and 16 April for pre-sentencing proceedings.
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Addressing supporters after his court appearance, Malema accused AfriForum of using the legal system to pursue political objectives and silence those who challenge it. He said the organisation represented interests that were hostile to South Africa’s democratic project and claimed it was attempting to undermine him through the courts.
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Possibility of imprisonment
Malema maintained that he was not intimidated by the legal process and suggested that the case formed part of a broader political campaign against him and the EFF. He reiterated that he would continue to oppose what he described as racial and economic injustice, regardless of the personal consequences. He also indicated that he did not view all court decisions as deserving of respect, arguing that rulings he regarded as inconsistent with the Constitution were unjust. Malema added that the possibility of imprisonment had long been something he had accepted as a risk of political activism.
The EFF leader ended his address by leading supporters in chanting the struggle song “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer”, a chant that has previously been the subject of legal challenges by AfriForum. Those efforts have repeatedly failed, with the Constitutional Court last year dismissing AfriForum’s application for leave to appeal, finding it had no reasonable prospects of success.
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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) President Julius Malema said that prison will not prevent him from being a fighter for his rights and black people. He spoke outside the East London Magistrates Court on 23 January 2026. Malema addressed thousands of EFF supporters who gathered in support of the CIC. Security was tightened outside and inside the court as Malema appeared. Malema said that the state is scared of a black authority.
The Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) president, Julius Malema's legal team argued for a lenient sentence on the basis that his family would be severely affected by his absence. Malema appeared before the East London Magistrates' Court on 23 January 2026 for his pre-sentencing hearing.
A social worker testifying at the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president, Julius Malema, said that he did not qualify to be sentenced to prison. She testified at his pre-sentencing appearance before the East London Magistrates Court in the Eastern Cape.
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