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'We will remove this government through a barrel of a gun': Malema

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema during the 1st year anniversary celebration at Thokoza park in Soweto. Photo credit: Bafana Mahlangu.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema during the 1st year anniversary celebration at Thokoza park in Soweto. Photo credit: Bafana Mahlangu.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is ready to literally take up arms and have physical fight against the government.

According to EFF leader Julius Malema, party members will not shy away from fighting against the African National Congress (ANC) government "if they respond violently to our peaceful protest”.

In an exclusive Al Jazeera interview, Malema accused the ANC of rigging votes in the 2014 provincial elections and said that they will not let that happen again.

"We know for a fact that Gauteng ANC rigged elections here. We know for a fact that they lost Johannesburg and they lost Gauteng. But we still accepted it. But they must know that we are not going to do that this year. We are not going to accept," said Malema.

"Part of the revolutionary duty is to fight and we are not ashamed if the need arise for us to take up arms and fight. We will fight. This regime must respond peacefully to our demands, must respond constitutionally to our demands. And if they are going to respond violently  - like they did in the township of Alexandra, just outside Johannesburg, when people said these results do not reflect the outcome of our votes, they sent the army to go and intimidate our people - we are not going to stand back."

Asked whether he was speaking figuratively, Malema said his party will literally take up arms against the government.

"Yeah, literally. I mean it literally. We are not scared. We are not going to have a government that disrespects us," he said adding that they will go to these extremes "if they [government] respond violently to our peaceful protest".

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

The exclusive Al Jazeera interview with Julius Malema will air on Sunday at 21:30, DStv channel 406.

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