ANC Youth League leaders in Limpopo yesterday declared that they would support any candidate who will stand against President Jacob Zuma in December.

"We are positive that Comrade Kgalema [Motlanthe] will avail himself," the league's provincial secretary Jacob Lebogo said.

"Even if he does not avail himself, there is a pool of cadres and leaders who have good qualities to lead the ANC. We'll support anyone so long as it is not Zuma."

Speaking to the media in Polokwane yesterday, Lebogo and the league's chairman Rudzani Ludere said the attack on them during the Nelson Mandela memorial lecture on Tuesday, which was delivered by Zuma in Thohoyandou, was orchestrated by "somebody who is a Zulu" but did not mention the person by name.

Ludere said they would make sure Zuma was not re-elected by mobilising against him at the December elective conference in Mangaung.

He claimed that Zuma only had the support of three provinces - Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State - and that the other provinces had not declared out of fear.

"There are only three provinces in South Africa which support Zuma, the rest of the provinces they don't want Zuma. That's why even in that policy conference everything Zuma represented, everything that looks like Zuma, never saw the light of day in that policy conference.

"They can say whatever they are saying, the reality of the matter is delegates shut out everything that looks like Zuma," he said.

Provincial treasurer Kabila Malatji added: "We are saying Zuma must go."

Tuesday was the first time that Zuma had addressed a public gathering in Limpopo since Julius Malema was expelled from the party. Only Zuma's deputy Motlanthe has visited the province.

At one of the addresses in Tzaneen, some members were seen wearing T-shirts written 'Motlanthe for president', confirming his endorsement to lead the party by premier Cassel Mathale's group.