We have capacity to oust Jacob Zuma by force - Malema

South Africa’s politician Julius Malema says the opposition could run out of patience and overthrow the ruling regime if the government keeps responding violently to peaceful protests.

Malema who heads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was speaking during an interview with gulf television channel, Al Jazeera.

Malema is quoted in the yet-to-be aired interview talking tough on the ‘military’ capabilities of his party members, “We have the capability to mobilise our people and fight physically,” said Malema.

He accuses the ruling ANC of rigging local elections but added that they would not allow that to happen a second time.

“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.

“Part of the revolutionary duty is to fight and we are not ashamed if the need arises for us to take up arms and fight. We will fight. This regime must respond peacefully to our demands and must respond constitutionally to our demands,” the firebrand EFF leader added.

He also reiterated that Zuma’s use of the army will not frighten the opposition.

Malema: We will remove Zuma through barrel of a gun: South African opposition politician warns of severe conse… https://t.co/p3TnSPjIfp

— Emmanuel Agbenowossi (@emmavitus) April 23, 2016

For several months Julius Malema has been requesting the ouster of Jacob Zuma whom he says has turned South Africa into a corrupt nation.

MP’s of his party regularly disrupt parliamentary sessions with anti-Zuma slogans.

Malema’s EFF party founded in 2014, won 25 seats in parliament and since then has become the third political force in the country, behind the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA).

The party looks forward to increasing its popularity during municipal elections to be held in August this year.