‘I am too old to be shaken by young Afrikaner boys’: Malema dismisses panic as sentencing looms
The EFF leader could lose his parliamentary seat.
EFF leader Julius Malema maintained a defiant tone as he addressed supporters ahead of a crucial court ruling that could determine his political future.
Magistrate Twanet Olivier is expected to deliver her judgment on Thursday, 16 April 2026, following the conclusion of sentencing proceedings in Malema’s firearm discharge trial.
The EFF leader stands to lose his seat in Parliament and be disqualified from serving in public office for five years if he receives a prison sentence exceeding 12 months without the option of a fine.
EFF leader Julius Malema remains ‘unshaken’
Addressing a crowd of supporters on Wednesday, 15 April, Malema framed his legal battle as part of a broader pattern of political suppression.
“We know what is at play,” he said outside the KuGompo City Magistrate’s Court in Eastern Cape.
The EFF leader expressed confidence in the outcome, indicating he expected to return home after the ruling.
“They use us to say whoever dares to speak truth to power must be taken to jail. We shall not be silenced under any circumstances.
“They can do whatever they want to do, but they will never silence us. They can imprison me, but they will never imprison my ideas,” Malema said.
He made it clear that the legal process would not end with Thursday’s judgment, reaffirming his intention to challenge the verdict all the way to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt).
“It doesn’t matter the outcome. The fact that there is a guilty verdict, we are going to appeal this case until the highest court in the land.
“When you say you are appealing a case, it doesn’t mean you don’t show remorse, it means you disagree with the conclusion.”
‘Nothing that will disrupt the revolution’
Malema also sought to reassure party members, saying the EFF’s mission would remain unchanged “with or without Julius Malema”.
“There is nothing that will disrupt the revolution.”
The EFF leader further criticised AfriForum, the complainant in the matter, delivering a pointed message to his detractors.
“I stand before you unshaken by the threats of white supremacists – and because I fought them when I was still young, I am too old to be shaken by young Afrikaner boys when I have defeated their parents.
“So no one has reason none whatsoever to panic.”
Firearm discharge
Malema faces a potential prison sentence ranging from a minimum of two years to a maximum of 15 years following his conviction on multiple charges.
These include unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public space, and reckless endangerment.
The case originates from a viral video showing Malema firing what appeared to be a rifle during the EFF’s fifth anniversary celebrations at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium on 28 July 2018.
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