What next for South African opposition firebrand Malema after his five-year prison sentence?

The sentence raises huge questions marks over the political future of one of South Africa's most controversial politicians. Julius Malema: What next for South African opposition firebrand? Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Julius Malema will probably lead his party into local elections despite the sentence Julius Malema is seen in his signature red overall in parliament What next for South African opposition firebrand Malema after his five-year prison sentence? The leader of one of South Africa's main opposition parties, Julius Malema, has been given a five-year prison term for unlawfully possessing a firearm and firing it in public, casting a huge question mark over his political career. The 45 year-old leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a fierce critic of what he sees as "Western imperialism" and advocates the nationalisation of white-owned land in South Africa to address the legacy of colonialism and the racist system of apartheid. This rhetoric has won him many supporters, especially among South Africa's disenchanted youth but over the course of his political career, he has offended a wide range of people, from women's rights groups to white farmers and his own political bosses. The EFF, also known locally as the red berets, are known for their signature red overalls worn by party leaders in parliament, meant to symbolise their affinity with South Africa's working class. He has been convicted of hate speech multiple times and has been denied entry to the UK twice in the past year. The EFF leader was convicted of five offences, including the unlawful possession of a firearm, discharging it in public and reckless endangerment and was given a five-year sentence. During the trial in KuGompo City, which is the new name for East London, Malema told the court that he had fired the shots in celebration. He has been allowed to appeal against the sentence but not the initial conviction, and until the entire process is finished, he will not go to prison. Malema's lawyers have said he will appeal against both the conviction and sentence. Legal expert Ulrich Roux told the BBC that to challenge his conviction, he would first have to seek permission from the Eastern Cape high court. If the high court agrees, he can then seek to overturn both sentence and conviction but the state "will most likely oppose his application", according to Roux. Malema has vowed to challenge the judgment right up to South Africa's highest court, the Constitutional Court, if necessary. "If it goes all the way to the Constitutional Court, we'll most likely get a final order within four to five years' time," said Roux. In South Africa, anyone who has been given a prison sentence longer than 12 months without the option of a fine cannot serve as an MP. The constitution, however, only regards the sentence as final once the appeal process has been exhausted, possibly in several years' time. This disqualification ends five years after the sentence has been completed. Since Malema has successfully applied to appeal against his sentence and has vowed to challenge the entire case, he can keep his seat in parliament and can campaign for his party in the local elections due towards the end of the year. What does this mean for his political career? Malema's supporters have rallied behind their leader after his conviction and sentence An EFF supporter is seen in the party's signature red regalia holding up a poster of leader Julius Malema Political analyst Sandile Swana told the BBC that with the appeals process likely to take several years, the EFF leader might be able to stand for re-election to parliament in 2029. Swana also noted that even if Malema's appeal ultimately failed and he is sent to prison, and then disqualified for five years, he could still stage a political comeback afterwards. South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma was handed a 15-month sentence back in 2021, meaning he was barred from becoming an MP. However, he went on to form a new party, uMkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation), which he led to third place in the 2024 elections, overtaking Malema's EFF. Another analyst, Khanyi Magubane, told the BBC the sentence could even help Malema's political career, describing it as the "trump card he needs for his election campaign". "I believe this will position the EFF and Malema well. It's actually going to have unintended consequences… because he will play on the public sympathy [and] use this opportunity to continue standing his ground," she said. Malema will be looking to turn his party's fortunes around after suffering a series of setbacks in recent years, losing votes to Zuma's party. Several key leaders left the party following the 2024 elections, including party co-founder and Malema's deputy Floyd Shivambu. A head and shoulders image of Julius Malema in court. South African opposition figure Malema sentenced to five years in prison for firing a gun Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, during an interview in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 Julius Malema - South Africa's radical agenda-setter A composite of four head-and-shoulders photographs of Vusimusi Cat Matlala as he was giving evidence to the parliamentary inquiry showing him giving different hand gestures. An alleged drug cartel and a murdered witness: South Africa's police corruption probe A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Malema is appealing against the decision, which means he is not going to prison immediately. Julius Malema, known for his incendiary rhetoric, was recently convicted of hate speech. Malema's party argues that his remarks were taken out of context. Pope Leo XIV is on his third day in Cameroon before he heads to Angola on Saturday. Bellarmine Mugabe was arrested in February following the shooting of a 23-year-old man at his home in Johannesburg. The BBC speaks to a student who pushed for his toe print to be taken to verify his identity. The comments follow a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who called the Pope weak on crime. The pontiff has been unusually forthright during his visit to conflict-hit Cameroon.