John Steenhuisen Welcomes Julius Malema Guilty Verdict, Criticises His Defiant Conduct Outside Court

• Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen weighed in on the ruling in the Julius Malema trial
• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader was guilty of breaching the Firearms Control Act
• Steenhuisen also shared his thoughts on Malema’s conduct outside the court following the delivery of the verdict

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – John Steenhuisen has welcomed the ruling against Julius Malema, but is concerned about his conduct after the judgement was handed down.

Malema was found guilty of breaching the Firearms Control Act by Magistrate Twanet Olivier in the East London Magistrate’s Court on 1 October 2025. The case related to an incident in 2018 when Malema fired a rifle near a crowd of people at the EFF's fifth birthday rally.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public space, failure to take reasonable precautions to avoid danger to a person or property and reckless endangerment to a person or property.

Malema's bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, appeared in court alongside the EFF leader, but he was found not guilty of the two charges against him.

Steenhuisen concerned by EFF leader’s actions

Following the handing down of the ruling, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader took to social media to welcome the verdict, saying it was an important step towards justice and accountability.

Steenhuisen, the Minister of Agriculture, also expressed concern about Malema’s conduct outside of the court. The EFF leader remained defiant despite the judgement, even leading party members in singing struggle songs. One of the songs was the “Kill the Boer” chant, which has earned much criticism.

Addressing Malema’s decision to sing the struggle song, Steenhuisen said it again demonstrated his disregard for the values of our democracy.

“At a time when South Africa desperately needs leadership that heals divisions and builds unity, he continues to choose rhetoric that fuels anger and hate,” the DA leader noted.

The minister added that the country deserved leaders who would rise above populism and unite South Africans.

Malema vows to appeal guilty verdict

Apart from singing struggle songs outside the court following the ruling, the leader of the EFF also vowed to appeal the decision.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets also remained defiant in the face of possible jail time, saying that as a revolutionary, going to prison or death was an honour. He also stated that the judgement was made to appease AfriForum, who opened a case against him in 2018.

Other reaction pieces about Malema’s guilty verdict

Briefly News reported that the news that Malema was found guilty sparked mixed reactions.

• AfriForum applauded the guilty verdict, saying that justice was finally being served.
• Ntsiki Mazwai was not impressed that Malema was found guilty, while his white co-accused was found innocent.
• Nota Baloyi rejoiced after the EFF leader was found guilty in his firearm discharge trial.

Source: Briefly News