EFF leader Julius Malema has warned big corporations to look after their workers otherwise they would rise up against them.

“I warned about an un-led revolution in South Africa. It’s coming,” he told the Southern African German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Johannesburg on Friday.

“It’s in the universities [and] it will go to the factories. Students are demanding free education in the universities – workers are going to demand a minimum wage in the factories.”

He said President Jacob Zuma and the ANC had no control and were suffering from a lack of credibility and legitimacy.

Just like the students, no one will be able to tell workers to stop burning down factories when they start protesting.

Malema warned the chamber not to be part of a group of people who undermined workers.

“Take a decision to look after your workers, they will look after you during the time of the revolution.

“When people call them to action, they will say ‘we not affected by those things’… That’s all we are asking for.”

He questioned why businesses had a problem with giving workers shares in their companies, as it was the workers who looked after those businesses.

Addressing Mercedes-Benz, the German car manufacturer, Malema asked why they were prepared to give “strangers” Black Economic Empowerment shares, but not their workers.

“You go around complaining that there is no business in South Africa, [that] people don’t buy Mercedes-Benz… pay them [workers] better and they will buy your Mercedes-Benz.

“The black workers are the best marketers, they are all over. Give them cars, give them money to buy cars,” he said.

Malema used Henry Ford as an example. The founder of Ford had reduced working hours, increased production and reduced production time because his workers earned a better living.

“Let’s do away with BEE, let’s empower workers.

“This economy will never grow because the majority of people in this country do not have buying power. Give them a minimum wage,” Malema said. News24