THE chickens have come home to roost for President Jacob Zuma. Julius Malema has turned inward and is attacking and belittling him at every chance.

The ANC Youth League claims their leader is not attacking Zuma but campaigning for a clean lifestyle.

Malema says everyone should have one wife or one husband, one girlfriend or one boyfriend.

Any more lovers and the person would die.

What a revelation after the league blindly defended the president during his criminal trials, multiple marriages and dubious appointments of top officials in government.

Malema is famous for saying that he would "kill for Zuma".

Zuma was elected largely through the campaign that the ANCYL orchestrated. His foibles were overlooked and he became the voters' favourite.

Malema has taken a swipe at Naledi Pandor's accent, at Helen Zille and others.

Zuma and the ANC were begged and warned to curb Malema's attacks. But the ANC remained silent.

It was only when the motormouth went too far that some soft charges were laid against him. He was cleared of all but one and received a slap on the wrist as punishment.

That is when he took a look at the party that had dared to judge him.

He has been consistent in demanding autonomy for the league and has darkly hinted that young lions in the ANC have previously unseated the party's leaders.

Malema has taken the war to his erstwhile heroes - Zuma and Gwede Mantashe.

He seems ready and willing to take them on.