ONE of President Jacob Zuma's new departments introduced as part of the expanded cabinet is to undergo a name change process, just three weeks after it was formed.

The ANC Youth League has successfully gang-pressed government to edit the name of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities to exclude youth affairs.

Youth League President Julius Malema said youth affairs should be the responsibility of the National Youth Development Agency which has received a financial injection of R1billion from the National Treasury.

"We are pleased that the misunderstanding created with the creation of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities has now been clarified by excluding youth which will remain in the presidency."

Malema said the youth league wants to remain in Zuma's office as the youth agency accounts to the president.

He said the youth league has said it wanted a youth ministry.

"There is no resolution of any of our constitutional structures which has demanded a youth ministry.

"We were also surprised when the ministry was announced, that we now have a ministry of youth and women and disabled and all that.

"We said 'no, we never wanted a youth ministry'."

Malema said the confusion came when the President upgraded into a ministry a unit of the presidency which was charged with the affairs of women, youth, children and people with disabilities.

"We had to remind everyone that we are not leaving, we are not going anywhere. We said we are coming to Pretoria with President Zuma and therefore we can't be taken out of Pretoria.

"We want to be in the Union Buildings, that's where we belong and that's where we are now."

Malema said Zuma has told them the name of the ministry will be changed.

l For the full ANC Youth League briefing by Malema, get into Sowetan podcasts on www.sowetan.co.za