S African leftist leader threatens violence to oust Zuma

AFP | Apr 23, 2016, 04.18 PM IST

File photo of Leader of South Africa's left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema. (Reuters photo)

JOHANNESBURG: The firebrand head of South Africa's radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, has warned he could seek to remove the government "through the barrel of a gun."

"We are not scared of the army. We are not scared to fight. We will fight," he told the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera network in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday.

Asked by the interviewer if that meant he was ready to take up arms, Malema said "Yeah, literally I mean it literally. We are not scared ..."

"We will run out of patience very soon and we will remove this government through a barrel of a gun".

The EFF has been demanding the ouster of President Jacob Zuma for several months, accusing him of corruption.

Late last month, South Africa's constitutional court ruled Zuma had violated the constitution in using public funds to upgrade his private residence and said he must repay the money.

EFF deputies regularly disrupt parliamentary sessions, sometimes shouting anti-Zuma slogans.