Malema (pictured) was expelled from the ANC - the party of Nelson Mandela - in 2012 and went on to found the revolutionary socialist party Economic Freedom Fighters

New South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has stepped up his charm offensive to lure Julius Malema back to his party - despite the firebrand politician promising to 'cut the throat of whiteness' last week.

Malema was expelled from the ANC - the party of Nelson Mandela - in 2012 and went on to found the revolutionary socialist party Economic Freedom Fighters.

His party now has the third largest number of MPs in the National Assembly, the lower house of the legislature.

For years the EFF ruthlessly attacked former president Jacob Zuma and his government, making accusations of corruption and incompetence.

But since Zuma's resignation last month, the EFF has softened its stance on the governing party and Ramaphosa, instead switching its hostility to the main opposition Democratic Alliance party.

'We would want to welcome (EFF members) back, and in fact we are able to say we would love to have Julius Malema back in the ANC. He is still ANC down deep in his heart,' said Ramaphosa during a voter registration drive in Centurion, near Pretoria.

But last week Malema vowed to unseat a white mayor while praising plans to redistribute land to black South Africans.

Malema, 37, said he wanted to 'remove' Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip specifically because he 'is a white man'.

New South African president Cyril Ramaphosa (pictured) has stepped up his charm offensive to lure Julius Malema back to his party

Julius Malema, who leads the country's Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, said he wanted to 'remove' Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip specifically because he 'is a white man'

Trollip is pictured showing his ID prior to vote in the municipal election at a polling station on August 3, 2016 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

He told a packed arena in Johannesburg that 'we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness'

He told a packed arena in Johannesburg that 'we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness'.

During the speech Malema said he wanted to unseat the mayor - a member of the Democratic Alliance - and accused the political group of being a racist party that promotes the interests of whites.

'All white people who are voting DA, who are angry with what we are going to do in (Port Elizabeth)... all of you can go to hell, we don't care about you.

'We don't care about white feelings,' he said to loud applause and cheering.

'We don't hate white people, we just love black people.'

Ahead of a general election due in 2019, a weekend-long voter registration drive was under way across South Africa on Saturday and Sunday, prompting a flurry of political manoeuvering.

Ramaphosa's comments about Malema came after anti-apartheid icon and Mandela's former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said she would persuade Malema to rejoin the ANC.

Malema previously also ruled out a return to the ANC where he once headed the party's powerful Youth League.

'My grandmother is 87 years old. She said even if she dies, I must never rejoin the ANC,' Malema told a news conference in parliament last month.

'I would rather leave politics and go and be an analyst on Power FM,' he added, referring to a local radio station.

Malema launched his campaign to be elected president in 2019 by aggressively distancing his party from its one-time coalition partner.

The EFF has propped up the administration of Port Elizabeth's mayor since 2016 elections.

Malema shared this picture of himself in September. In 2014 he was criticized for wearing Louis Vuitton shoes and in 2011 he received backlash after flying business class to the three-day nuptials of millionaire property developer David Mabilu

Malema is seen above flashing one of his expensive watches. He loves to wear Breitling and Rolex

Athol Trollip is a member of the DA which has governed Port Elizabeth as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria with the support of Malema's EFF.

Malema has sought to rebuild ties with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) since President Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma last month.

'Ramaphosa must do the right thing. We don't care about him being a billionaire, we want him to do the right thing,' said Malema.

In his speech, Malema welcomed the ANC's recent resolution to seek to expedite the process of redistributing land to 'rightful owners' that is widely understood to mean transferring land owned by whites to blacks.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of He is seen above in an October Instagram snap with his wife

Party time: Malema busts a move while holding a glass of champagne in this Instagram snap hashtagged 'weekend vibes'

'We want to give land to our people, it is going to happen, it will happen in our lifetime, whether they like it or not. The land will be returned,' he said.

'We are not going to listen to any Britain, we are not going to listen to European Parliament, we are not going to listen to UN - we are going to listen to the people of South Africa,' Malema added.

He was referring to a letter sent Tuesday by right-wing British UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling on London to 'step in' over the issue of land redistribution in South Africa.

Malema also announced a voter registration drive for EFF supporters.

'All fighters in all branches must be registered to vote. If you are not registered, then you are a criminal.'

According to the Telegraph, he has said he has learned 'to live in conditions of capitalism while fighting and defeating it'.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of allies, and the party now has the third largest number of MPs in the National Assembly

In 2014 he was criticized for wearing Louis Vuitton shoes and in 2011 he received backlash after flying business class to the three-day nuptials of millionaire property developer David Mabilu.

He is also known to wear flashy watches such as Breitling and Rolex

In 2010 he came under fire for drinking Moët et Chandon Rosé champagne and eating cake at his birthday celebrations, while his supporters, including a large number of elderly people got just water and fruit.

He said: 'We don't want them to stay in shacks, that's why we can't stay in shacks.

'How are you going to inspire them when you are also going to stay in a shack?'