VIDEO | Mid-air ruckus on East London flight as 'EFF chants in aisle'
A FlySafair flight turned rowdy mid-air after passengers in what appeared to be EFF regalia began chanting in the aisle.
The incident happened on a 189-seater FlySafair flight from Johannesburg to East London on Thursday.
The airline confirmed it was now looking into the matter.
FlySafair marketing chief Kirby Gordon said the incident was being handled in line with company procedures and civil aviation regulations.
“It is being addressed in accordance with our procedures and civil aviation regulations,” Gordon said on Saturday.
The video, which has since circulated widely on social media, shows the inside of the aircraft while the plane is in flight.
@FlySafair – are you actually going to take action against the unruly EFF passengers who disrupted the recent flight to East London/PE? Chanting, singing, and causing a disturbance mid-air isn’t ‘vibes’ – it’s against the Civil Aviation Act.
Civil Aviation Act 13 of 2009.… pic.twitter.com/FMPZziklGh
— Pookie’s Polls & Opinions (@pookiepolls) January 24, 2026
Several people dressed in red and wearing red berets are seen standing in the aisle, chanting loudly, clapping and thrusting their arms into the air.
Some move up and down the aisle as they chant.
Other passengers stay seated, with most looking straight ahead or down at their laps.
A few turn to watch.
No physical clashes could be seen in the footage.
Cabin crew are not clearly visible in the video, which appears to have been filmed by a passenger seated near the front of the plane.
The chanting continues until the clip ends.
The EFF did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Scores of EFF members travelled to East London on Thursday for their commander-in-chief’s appearance at the East London Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
It was there that pre-sentencing proceedings took place in his firearm conviction case.
Malema was convicted in October on five firearm-related charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place, and reckless endangerment of persons and property.
The charges stem from a 2018 incident at the EFF’s fifth anniversary celebrations in Mdantsane, where video footage showed Malema firing a rifle into the air at a crowded rally.
Friday’s pre-sentencing hearing formed part of the process to determine what penalty Malema will receive.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the court, many dressed in red and holding placards in support of the EFF leader.
During the proceedings, social worker Jessie Thompson addressed the court and urged that Malema be treated with leniency, placing personal and social circumstances before the magistrate as part of mitigation.
The matter was postponed to April 15.
Legal expert William Booth said the offence carries a possible sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment, though magistrate Twanet Olivier may take mitigating factors into account and could impose an alternative sentence, such as a suspended term.
IOL