EAST LONDON — 1 October 2025
EFF leader Julius Malema’s conviction for unlawful firearm handling is attributed to his evasive courtroom testimony, a legal expert concluded. The East London Magistrate Court delivered the guilty verdict on Wednesday following a 2018 incident.
Legal analyst Ulrich Roux stated Magistrate Twanette Olivier found Malema “not a credible witness,” leading to rejected evidence during the firearm discharge trial. This followed Malema’s testimony about a rifle cartridge recovered from an EFF rally in Mdantsane.
Roux criticised Malema’s explanation for the firearm discharge: “it must have been the holy spirit that the firearm went off”. Roux called this “really not a good answer strategically” for credibility.
The court observed Malema avoided “perfectly straightforward questions” about ballistics evidence. He testified: “I don’t know those things. I just have a firearm… I’ve never paid attention to those things”. Comparing himself to the state’s expert, he added: “Who am I?” while referencing his struggles with “woodwork at school”.
Malema faces a possible 15-year prison term. Sentencing is scheduled for January 2025. Roux warned this testimony could hinder Malema’s planned appeal to higher courts.
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