The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Monday opened a case of treason against Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, for his threat to remove the South African government "through the barrel of a gun".

"The threat to remove a lawfully, democratically-elected leader through an undemocratic process is against the law and the Constitution. We call on SAPS (South African Police Service) to investigate a charge of high treason," ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told News24, a local news outlet.

He said the ruling party was doing this for all South Africans as well as to defend and protect the country's hard-won democracy and freedom.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, Malema said the opposition "will run out of patience very soon and we will remove this government through the barrel of a gun" if the ANC continues to respond violently to peaceful protests.

Malema is the commander-in-chief of the EFF, an opposition party he founded in 2013 after being expelled from the ANC, where he had served as president of the ANC Youth League.

Also on Monday, the ANC issued a statement, voicing "extreme concern" over Malema's remarks.

"These remarks are a call to violence, inflammatory, treasonable and seditious and should be treated with extreme seriousness," said the statement.

Malema's utterances "also are in clear violation of the Electoral Code and the Charter on Elections Ethics signed by a number of political parties - including the EFF, last week", it said.

In signing the Charter, political parties committed themselves to upholding and promoting Constitutional values, alongside the Elections Code in the run-up to the August 3 local government elections.

"These reckless utterances display a shocking lack of judgment on the part of the leadership of the EFF who have a duty, together with all political parties, to ensure their membership abides with the laws of the land. The remarks made by Mr. Malema are a clear incitement to people to commit acts of violence, which is against the laws of the Republic," said the ANC.

Source: XINHUA