From Viral Rally to Guilty Verdict: Inside Julius Malema’s Fiery Firearm Trial

The Shot That Echoed for Six Years And Ended in a Guilty Verdict

It started as a festive celebration, the EFF’s fifth-anniversary rally in Mdantsane back in July 2018. Red berets, chants, music and then, in full view of the crowd, Julius Malema lifted a rifle and fired shots into the air.

The moment went viral within hours.

This week, six years later, Magistrate Twanet Olivier declared the EFF leader guilty on multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm in public, and reckless endangerment.

And yet, as Malema walked out of court surrounded by supporters singing “Kill the Boer”, he made it clear: this battle is far from over.

“Revolutionaries must be ready for prison or death,” he shouted. “We are going all the way to the Constitutional Court. We are not fighting the case we are fighting racism.”

Courtroom Chaos: Jokes, Jabs and Unanswered Questions

If this was meant to be a technical legal process, Malema turned it into political theatre.

During his testimony, he told the court he couldn’t properly count gunshots because “I graduated in woodwork.” When asked how a cartridge from the scene was linked to him, he quipped that perhaps it was “the Holy Spirit.”

Magistrate Olivier was unmoved.

“Entertaining, yes,” she said. “But the pertinent questions remained unanswered.”

His former security manager, Adriaan Snyman, who appeared in footage handing him the firearm, walked free. Malema calls that proof of “selective justice.”

Key Evidence That Sank His Defence

Despite repeated claims that the gun was “a toy”, the State dismantled that argument with:

Ballistics evidence confirming the rifle was real
Witness testimony about live rounds being fired
Video footage authenticated by staging company Gearhouse
A spent cartridge found by a stadium cleaner two days later traced back to Tactical Security, Snyman’s employer

At least 18 witnesses testified. The court ruled the facts undeniable: this was a real firearm fired in a packed stadium.

Politics vs Law Or a Bit of Both?

Outside the court, crowds of supporters framed the verdict as a political attack.

AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo attended previous hearings to back Malema. AfriForum, who first opened the case, celebrated the ruling as a victory for accountability.

Online, reactions were split:

“If this was an ordinary citizen, they’d be jailed long ago.”
“Selective prosecution why was Snyman acquitted and Malema not?”

What Happens Next?

The court has postponed the case to 23 January 2026 for pre-sentencing proceedings. Malema remains out on bail, and his legal team is preparing to appeal immediately.

Realistically, this case could stretch on for years, potentially reaching the Supreme Court of Appeal, even the Constitutional Court.

Beyond the Verdict, A Symbolic Moment for South Africa

Whether you see Malema as a reckless populist or a targeted revolutionary, this ruling marks a rare moment in South African politics:

A high-ranking political leader was convicted for behaviour caught in the public eye.
The courtroom became a battleground between law and spectacle.
The country is left debating justice versus political bias, again.

The gun may have fired in 2018.
But its echo is still dividing South Africa.

{Source: IOL}

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