JOHANNESBURG (AP) — With revolutionary rhetoric, bright red outfits and left-wing policies, the Economic Freedom Fighters have shaken up South Africa's political landscape, becoming a potent challenge to the ruling African National Congress.

Firebrand leader Julius Malema, 38, has a knack for catching headlines and appealing to South Africa's youth. Although the EFF has little chance of winning power in the Wednesday elections, the party's populist stance has pulled the governing ANC to the left.

As South Africans prepare to vote on Wednesday in what is expected to be a hotly contested national election, the EFF is once again a potential game-changer. Various polls indicate the party may increase its share of the vote to at least 12%, cutting further into the ANC's support.