Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says he will offer to merge with the ANC in order to secure a majority rule in the 2019 elections.

In an interview with current affairs show ENCA CheckPoint, Malema said that he believes that in the general elections in 2019, support for the ANC will drop below 50%, while the EFF will increase to between 9% – 10%.

“The ANC needs the EFF, the DA needs to EFF. The first offer, I am going to give to the ANC is the merger. The EFF and the ANC must come together and collapse the name ANC.”

Malema said that the new party would close Luthuli House and open up a new headquarters in Soweto.

The EFF leader has previously been outspoken against the ANC – having been expelled from the party in 2012.

Malema said that a merger would have to create a unique leadership “which will appeal to our people”. “The name ANC is going to remind our people of their painful past,” he said.

Malema said he would work with ANC stalwarts, former president of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, and Winnie Mandela, to start afresh.

He said that the EFF would not join the ANC so to speak, but rather start again completely under a new party brand.

Malema said that where the ANC has failed, the EFF has picked up – having gone back to basics. “Let us pick up the Freedom Charter from the dustbin, and clean it up and continue to advocate what the Freedom Charter stands for,” he said.

Watch the interview on ENCA CheckPoint here

More on politics

ANC must disband, drop its name, and join the EFF in a new party: Malema

Malema warns councillors – pay half your salary to the EFF or you are out

Malema takes a swipe at new DA Joburg mayor

ANC is a party in crisis after Mbeki visit – Malema