South Africa opposition leader Julius Malema warns of impending uprising

“When the unled revolution comes… the first target is going to be white people,” Mr Malema said in the Interview.

To avoid unrest, he demanded a “intervention” to improve the quality of life.

The MP, who is known for his strong opinions, has been convicted of hate speech twice.

He was also charged with fraud and corruption, which were later dropped. Mr Malema claimed they were political in nature.

The Arab Spring was a series of pro-democracy uprisings that began in Tunisia at the end of 2010 and spread to several other countries in the region.

In the interview with media agency, Mr Malema accused rich black people of committing “class suicide”.

“The violence that is going to happen in South Africa is because the elite is disappearing and the poor are becoming more poorer,” he said.

“Therefore there’s going to be something that looks like an Arab Spring. That, we are guaranteed.”

Last week, former President Thabo Mbeki issued a similar warning about a possible uprising. He chastised his own party, the ruling African National Congress (ANC), for failing to address poverty, unemployment, and inequality.

South Africa faces numerous challenges, including high unemployment, inflation at a 13-year high, corruption allegations, and a troubled energy sector.

In a recent address to the nation, current President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged a “difficult time for our country.” However, in a separate speech, he responded to Mr Mbeki’s criticism by stating that the ANC has a plan to fix things.

Mr Malema, the leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has a long history of controversy and was previously found guilty of using hate speech in 2010 and 2011 for comments he made about the woman who accused former President Jacob Zuma of rape and then for singing the song “Shoot the Boer (Afrikaner).”

The EFF received nearly 11% of the vote in the 2019 general election and now has 44 seats in parliament.