"[There] are strikes happening in different mines. They need to be co-ordinated and a national program should be rolled out wherein every month for a week, [five] working days, there will be strikes demanding better salaries for the workers, demanding that the mineral resources of this country be nationalised," Malema said in an interview with CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour.

This would happen until the owners of the means of production were ready to sit down with "economic freedom fighters" and discuss a way forward.

Earlier on Tuesday, speaking to miners at Gold Fields' Driefontein mine outside Carletonville, Malema called on all workers there to strike.

"There must be a national strike at all the mines until [National Union of Mineworkers' secretary-general] Frans Baleni and the union's leadership step down with immediate effect."

Gold Fields chairwoman Dr Mamphela Ramphele told Amanpour the crisis in the mining industry would end when the government rose to its responsibility of being a good regulator, instead of being both a player and a regulator. She said the government had too many "indirect shares" in the industry.

She criticised trade unions for not playing their part and allowing certain individuals to step in and take advantage of the situation.

Ramphele called on the private sector to lead and adopt a more "sustainable mode".

Lastly, she called on the country's citizens to hold the government to account.

"Citizens in South Africa must hold the government accountable for re-militarising the police. We can't have police shooting people because they are striking."