Overview

• East London Magistrate Twanet Olivier found the EFF leader guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place, reckless endangerment, and contravening the Firearms Control Act.
• Co-accused and former bodyguard Adriaan Snyman was acquitted, with the court relying on authenticated Gearhouse event footage and a recovered spent cartridge rather than unauthenticated viral clips.
• The case stems from the EFF’s fifth‑anniversary rally at Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe Stadium in 2018, where Malema was recorded firing a rifle.
• Sentencing is scheduled for 23 January 2026; while legislation prescribes 15 years for certain semi‑automatic firearm offences, courts often impose lesser or suspended terms, and any custodial sentence over 12 months could cost him his MP seat.
• Malema called the ruling politically and racially motivated and vowed to appeal up to the Constitutional Court, as the NPA welcomed an evidence-based outcome and AfriForum hailed the verdict as equality before the law.