LEHLOGONOLO Masoga is still haunting ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

Expelled by Malema in 2009, Masoga is now among the most powerful ANC officials in Malema's home province, Limpopo, after he was elected deputy chairman of a Polokwane ANC branch.

An ANCYL official conceded yesterday that the return of Masoga indicated that Malema's ratings had gone down.

Masoga was elected ANC deputy chairman of the Cuito Cuanavale branch in Flora Park, Polokwane, at the weekend.

Attempts by Malema supporter and ANC Peter Mokaba regional chairman Lawrence Mapoulo, to disqualify some delegates who were supporting Masoga also failed, according to sources who attended the meeting at Flora Park Primary on Sunday.

Masoga has also been tipped to be the ANC provincial deputy secretary after the December conference.

Mapoulo conceded defeat: "The new leadership is a tried-and-tested leadership and we are content with it."

A delegate said Mapoulo had brought members of the VIP protection unit to control access and maintain security inside the venue.

Masoga said he was happy to be in the leadership again.

"The ANC is our home and we are here to stay, irrespective of the wishes of certain individuals," he said.

The branch is situated where Malema owns a property but the ANCYL president belongs to a branch in Seshego.

Malema axed Masoga during the ill-fated Makhado elective conference of the ANCYL in 2009. The ANC national leadership also tried to intervene but the matter could not be resolved.

Meanwhile, Malema's disciplinary hearing by the ANC will resume on Saturday.

He is being charged with, among other things, bringing the ANC into disrepute and for sowing divisions in the party. The hearing, which was initially scheduled for October 5, was postponed after he was hospitalised in Polokwane after falling ill.

The new branch leadership, all in Masoga's faction, includes Naphtali Molope (chairman), Boiki Tsedu (secretary), Sylvia Mosaka (deputy secretary) and Thulamsindo Rapotu (treasurer).