SA on autopilot' - Malema calls for early election

The only way to save South Africa is through an early election, says EFF leader Julius Malema.

"This thing called a constitutional democracy is finished," he said

Malema told a few thousand people gathered outside the Newcastle Magistrate's Court that South Africa was on autopilot - a comment he repeated several times.

Malema said it was time for Parliament to be dissolved and for the country to hold an early election.

"If we don't go to an early election...don't remove the president, then you are showing the Constitution the middle finger," said Malema.

He was speaking in Newcastle shortly after appearing in the magistrate's court for contravening the apartheid-era Riotous Assemblies Act for comments he made in Newcastle in 2014.

He made similar comments in Bloemfontein in 2016 for which he is also headed to court on November 14.

On both occasions, Malema had called on supporters to invade unoccupied land, a call he reiterated with more vigour on Monday.

Parliament 'cannot discipline Zuma'

"This mess can be fixed by an early election."

He said constitutional democracy died the day the Constitutional Court ruled that President Jacob Zuma had acted in a manner that was inconsistent with the Constitution. He then criticised Parliament for failing to take action against the president.

He also decried the findings made by the ConCourt against the National Assembly, telling the crowd that both Zuma and Parliament had lost their legitimacy.

"It cannot discipline Zuma, it's suffering from the same sickness."

Malema said he was willing to sacrifice his job in the process for the greater good.

"I also speak about my job called Parliament; when I say let Parliament go to an early election it means I can be unemployed tomorrow because there is no guarantee that I will come back. But for the sake of the Constitution I am willing to lose my job," said Malema.

He also hit out at South Africans who failed to show their disdain at current events. He accused them of being comfortable with some of the disturbing developments in the country because they failed to heed calls to go to the streets and demonstrate.

The court case in Newcastle was postponed to December 7 pending an application that his lawyer, Tumi Mokwena, said they would put to the High Court, challenging the act's constitutionality.