Politics 16 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Julius Malema Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Rally Gunfire Incident
South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been handed a five-year jail term by a magistrate's court for firing a rifle at a 2018 rally. The conviction on multiple firearm charges could derail his political career if appeals fail. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/south-african-opposition-leader-malema-jailed-five-years-over-rally-gunfire-5426012
Julius Malema, the 45-year-old leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), received a five-year prison sentence on Thursday for discharging a rifle into the air during a 2018 rally in Eastern Cape’s KuGompo City.
He was convicted last year on five counts, including unlawful firearm possession and firing a weapon in public. Malema had pleaded not guilty throughout the proceedings.
Moments after the ruling, his legal team sought permission to appeal the decision. Should the sentence stand post-appeals, it would disqualify him from holding a parliamentary seat.
This development poses a significant challenge to the EFF, the fourth-largest party in South Africa’s parliament, which draws strong backing from youth disillusioned by ongoing racial inequalities since apartheid’s end in 1994.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)