‘Don’t send him to prison,’ defence tells court as Malema sentencing set for Thursday

That was the plea from his legal team as the EFF leader’s sentencing proceedings began at the magistrate’s court in KuGompo City in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday. MagistrateTwanet Olivierheard final arguments from both the defence and the state before postponing the matter to Thursday morning for judgment. Prosecutor AdvJoel Cesartold the court he is seeking a prison term of up to 15 years forMalema, who was convicted in October 2025 on five counts under the Firearms Control Act.

told the court he is seeking a prison term of up to 15 years for , who was convicted in October 2025 on five counts under the Firearms Control Act. Alternatively, he asked for a sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, with three years suspended, along with fines on the remaining counts. The charges stem from a 2018 incident at an EFF rally in Mdantsane, where Malema fired a semi-automatic firearm into the air.

The court previously heard that Snyman handed the firearm to Malema during the event. If Malema is sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine, he will lose his seat in Parliament.