‘I am too old to be shaken by young Afrikaner boys’: Malema dismisses panic as sentencing looms

EFF supporters welcome leader Julius Malema outside KuGompo Magistrate’s Court for sentencing proceedings on 15 April 2026. Picture: Gallo Images 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. 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.

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“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. ♦️Happening Now♦️President@Julius_S_Malemaaddressing groundforces outside East London Magistrates Court.Noma kubi siyaya!#HandsOffMalemapic.twitter.com/WdO1fHKCNc 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.

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