Julius Malema believes if the grid collapses, South Africans could remove the ANC.

The EFF leader said this in a Hard Talk interview with BBC journalist Stephen Sackur this week when asked for his views on load-shedding.

Sackur asked Malema if he thought his comments on load-shedding worsening had caused panic. The politician said he was simply telling the “truth”, adding that he was not convinced the government was doing enough to deal with the power crisis.     

“I am telling you, there is going to be a revolution. Let the grid collapse and let's see what is going to happen. People are going to rise and when they rise, there will not be any leader leading them.”

His comments sparked sharp reaction, with some slamming his prediction.

Here are some quotes from the interview that had people talking:

‘I would align with and even supply weapons to Russia’

Malema said South Africa was a Russian ally through Brics and should he become the president he would have a closer relationship with the country.

“I will go beyond the friendship with Russia. In the war, I would align with Russia and even supply weapons to Russia. Russia is in a war with imperialism. Any agenda that seeks to push back imperialist agendas is well within the policies of the EFF.”

Malema said before the International Criminal Court arrests Russian president Vladimir Putin for war crimes, it should start with former British prime minister Tony Blair and former US presidents George Bush and Barack Obama.

‘The president is not carrying the national agenda’

The EFF leader was criticised about the national shutdown on March 20, which some said negatively affected the economy.

Malema told Sackur he didn’t see the protest as irresponsible.   

“Do you want me to fold my hands? Do you want me to not do anything? The most logical thing to do is for the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] to resign. The president is not carrying the national agenda. We need a government of national unity that is going to unite all of us.”

'I am the guy [to lead South Africa]'

Malema criticised the ANC government.

“I am a proper guy,” he said.

“I was young when I made my mistakes on tax. I was 27 years old. I fixed that problem and today I am 42 years old, a married man with children who has taken responsibility and built a solid party without the support of white monopoly.”

‘We will not retreat on returning the land back to the hands of our people’

As the country gets closer to the 2024 national elections, Malema said any party that sought to work with the EFF should support land expropriation without compensation.

“Anyone who wants to work with us, you are going to expropriate land without compensation, nationalise mines, establish a state bank and fight crime fire by fire.

“We will not retreat in returning the land back to the hands of our people. This will be done in a democratic way.”

‘They are not scared of Julius Malema, they are scared of an independent black man’

Malema was asked by Sackur what he thought about people who threatened to leave the country should he become president.

“I do not welcome their fear. Stephen, they said that about [Nelson] Mandela. They said when Mandela becomes the president they will leave the country. They are not scared of Julius Malema. They are scared of an independent black man who is not controlled by any white person; who is not controlled by London.”

Malema said he rallied behind a socialist economic system because he believed it provided equality.