High Court Grants Julius Malema Leave to Appeal Firearm Convictions
- The Makhanda High Court granted EFF president Julius Malema leave to appeal his firearm convictions on Monday, 28 September 2026
- Malema was convicted of five firearm-related offences and handed an effective five-year prison sentence in April 2026
- The development marks a new legal avenue for Malema, whose appeal against his sentence was already separately granted
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EASTERN CAPE — The Makhanda High Court has granted Economic Freedom Fighters president Julius Malema leave to appeal his firearm convictions, opening a new legal front in his bid to overturn findings that led to a five-year prison term.
The ruling, handed down on Monday, 28 September 2026, overrides an earlier decision by the KuGompo Regional Court, which had refused Malema leave to appeal the convictions when he was sentenced in April 2026.
Malema's 5 firearm convictions explained
The charges against Malema arose from the EFF's fifth-anniversary celebrations held at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, in July 2018. He was found guilty on five counts in October 2025: unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful discharge of a firearm in a built-up area, failure to take reasonable precautions to avoid danger, and reckless endangerment to people or property.
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The KuGompo Regional Court sentenced him to five years' direct imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm, with a concurrent two-year sentence for unlawful possession of ammunition. The remaining three offences each attracted fines of R20,000 or alternative custodial terms. All sentences run concurrently, giving him an effective five-year sentence. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Throughout the trial, Malema denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the firearm visible in footage from the 2018 event was a toy gun loaded with blanks and that no one was placed at risk.
Why Malema's legal team is challenging the convictions
His legal team argued that the trial court made errors in its assessment of the circumstantial evidence presented by the State.Prosecutors opposed the application, maintaining that the evidence on record adequately supported all five convictions.
The High Court's ruling does not overturn the convictions. It grants Malema the right to formally challenge them through the appeal process. His sentence remains a separate matter.
Malema remains out on warning while both appeals work their way through the courts.
Afriforum welcomes Malema's sentencing
AfriForum’s Ernst van Zyl welcomed the sentence handed down to Julius Malema.Taking to X (formerly Twitter), van Zyl noted that the EFF leader was sentenced to five years in prison. Van Zyl, the Head of Public Relations at AfriForum, described this as a ‘major loss for lawlessness.’ AfriForum, which laid the charges against Malema, were pushing for a 15-year jail term. Malema and the EFF have repeatedly accused AfriForum of racism and pursuing a ‘racist agenda’ in relation to the firearms case against him.
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Source: Briefly News
