Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Organization

Economic Freedom Fighters

Also known as: EFF · Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

South African political party; its leader Julius Malema was sentenced to five years imprisonment in April 2026 for firearm offences.

Politics

ANC demands members choose between party, SACP

The News

The ANC has given its members who also belong to the SACP a 10-day deadline to declare which party they will campaign for in local elections, after the SACP announced it would contest independently. The move highlights tensions within the historically intertwined alliance and poses practical complications for senior figures like SACP chairperson Blade Nzimande and ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe, both of whom hold ministerial positions.

23 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Yesterday

  1. ANC demands members choose between party, SACP

    The ANC has given its members who also belong to the SACP a 10-day deadline to declare which party they will campaign for in local elections, after the SACP announced it would contest independently. The move highlights tensions within the historically intertwined alliance and poses practical complications for senior figures like SACP chairperson Blade Nzimande and ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe, both of whom hold ministerial positions.

    23 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 18 April

  1. South African EFF leader Malema sentenced to five years imprisonment

    Julius Malema, leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters party, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the KuGombo Regional Court for unlawfully discharging a firearm at a 2018 public gathering in Mdantsane Stadium, with additional concurrent sentences on related charges. The prosecution argued the act was premeditated and posed serious danger to the 20,000 people present, while the defence contended the state misread evidence and that Malema should be treated equally under the law rather than receiving harsher punishment due to his public status.

    18 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 17 April

  1. Opinion: Is parliamentary disorder a political strategy?

    An opinion piece examines recent disruptions in Namibia's Parliament—including table-banging and xenophobic remarks—asking whether disorder functions as a deliberate political instrument to advance narrow interests rather than genuine democratic expression. The author draws on African political theory to suggest that weak institutionalization may enable actors to exploit confusion strategically.

    17 April 2026 · New Era →

  2. NEFF deputy disputes Julius Malema's South Africa sentencing

    Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Kalimbo Iipumbu has described the sentencing of EFF leader Julius Malema in South Africa as politically driven and designed to intimidate. Malema was sentenced to five years imprisonment for unlawful firearm possession in connection with a 2018 incident, though he has been granted leave to appeal the sentence.

    17 April 2026 · New Era →

  3. South African court sentences Malema to five years for firearm offence

    Julius Malema, leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters party, was sentenced to five years in jail for firing an assault rifle at a 2018 rally. The magistrate ruled the shooting was a deliberate violation of firearm laws, not an impulsive celebration as his defence claimed, and Malema's team has signalled an intention to appeal.

    17 April 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 16 April

  1. South African opposition leader Malema sentenced to five years prison

    Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters and member of parliament, has been sentenced to at least five years in prison after being found guilty of illegal gun possession and firing it in public during his party's 2018 anniversary celebrations. His lawyer said he would appeal the decision, which would disqualify him from parliament once all appeals are exhausted.

    16 April 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. South African opposition leader faces sentencing for firearm offense

    Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party, is set to be sentenced today in South Africa for firing an assault rifle at a rally in 2018, with the state seeking the maximum 15-year jail term. Hundreds of supporters gathered ahead of his sentencing in East London, as the case—brought by far-right group AfriForum—continues amid broader controversy over Malema's use of anti-apartheid slogans.

    16 April 2026 · New Era →

Monday 23 March

  1. South Africa: ANC signals mayoral strategy for Johannesburg election

    President Ramaphosa's comments suggesting retention of Johannesburg's current mayor signal possible ANC plans to impose a national candidate on the region, while the party's recent march focused on defending national sovereignty appears designed to shift campaign messaging away from local service delivery failures to broader anti-Trump and liberation movement themes.

    23 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 8 March

  1. South African court strikes down minister's VAT-setting powers

    The Western Cape High Court declared that South Africa's VAT Act unconstitutionally delegates tax-setting authority to the finance minister, a power that must rest with parliament. Judge Matthew Francis ruled that parliament has 24 months to remedy the constitutional defect, with the current VAT rate to remain in effect unless parliament itself amends the law.

    8 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 March

  1. Mosiuoa Lekota's legacy beyond apartheid struggle honored

    The Namibian's analysis of Mosiuoa Lekota, who died on Wednesday, argues that his role in forming the Congress of the People in 2008 was equally vital to his anti-apartheid activism. By breaking the ANC's political dominance, Cope's 1.3 million votes prevented Zuma's government from securing a two-thirds majority, shifted South African politics from racial to policy-based competition, and inspired the formation of other parties including the EFF and ActionSA, fundamentally changing the country's democratic trajectory.

    5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Namibia Minute