South Africa is watching uneasily as Julius Malema’s legal battle enters a volatile new phase, with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader now appealing a five‑year direct imprisonment sentence handed down for firing a rifle at a party rally in 2018.
The prospect of the country’s most polarising opposition figure going to jail has revived an uncomfortable national memory: the July 2021 unrest that erupted when former president Jacob Zuma was imprisoned, leaving more than 350 people dead and billions of rand in damage.
For now, the streets are calm, but the political temperature is unmistakably rising.
On Thursday, EFF supporters staged demonstrations across several provinces, gathering outside courts and marching through city centres.
Police reported no major incidents although some shops in central Johannesburg closed as a precaution and isolated clashes were reported in Mpumalanga.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said Public Order Policing units remained deployed “to ensure that all gatherings continue to be peaceful.”
Malema, convicted last year on five counts under the Firearms Control Act, was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition and firing live rounds in front of thousands of supporters during the EFF’s fifth‑anniversary celebrations in 2018. His co‑accused, Adriaan Snyman, was acquitted.
Magistrate Twanet Olivier ruled that the shooting was premeditated, rejecting the defence’s argument that it was a harmless celebratory gesture.
She described the act as planned, deliberate and dangerous, noting that Malema fired a round of ammunition in a crowded stadium.
Malema’s legal team immediately applied for leave to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.
Olivier granted him leave to appeal the sentence but denied the bid to challenge the conviction.
He was released on warning pending the outcome of the appeal, meaning he will not enter prison unless the higher court upholds the sentence.
Legal experts say Malema remains a Member of Parliament while the appeal is underway.
South African MPs only lose their seats if sentenced to more than 12 months without the option of a fine.
According to experts, Malema’s parliamentary status remains intact until the appeal process concludes.
Still, the political stakes are high.
Malema’s imprisonment – if it ultimately happens – would remove one of the country’s most influential and confrontational political voices from the national stage.
It would also test the resilience of South Africa’s security services and political institutions, which are still haunted by the speed and scale of the 2021 unrest.
For now, the EFF’s demonstrations have remained largely peaceful.
But the party has a history of mobilising large, emotionally charged crowds, and analysts warn that the coming weeks could determine whether South Africa faces a repeat of the instability that once shook the nation.
Malema’s appeal is expected to take months. Until then, the country waits – anxious, alert and aware of how quickly political anger can spill into the streets.
JN/APA