IT IS only two years before the local government elections take place but a campaign is already being waged to replace the current mayors and executive mayors in Limpopo.

The campaign is fast gaining momentum after recent calls by ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, who pushed for the immediate replacement of two mayors in the Capricorn region.

Malema singled out Polokwane municipality mayor Thabo Makunyane and Aganang municipality mayor Manoko Masehela as being among those who should be given the boot.

He made this public pronouncement at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane yesterday.

Malema complained that Makunyane's bid to fast track services in the Polokwane area left much to be desired and a replacement for him was urgently needed.

Soon after that Malema told thousands of villagers during a visit to gold medallist, Mokgadi Caster Semenya's home in Moletji that Masehela was acting at a snail's pace to deliver services in her Aganang municipality and should be shown the door.

Malema was speaking in the presence of member Parliament and ANC NEC member Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe.

He said Semenya's village had little or no services at all while the ANC had entrusted her with the know-how to deliver services to the area.

Sources within the ANC, who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, suggested that the newly elected regional chairman of the ANC in the Peter Mokaba region, Lawrence Makunyane, was a possible candidate to replace current executive mayor Divert Monakedi.

He also suggested that the newly elected treasurer, Lucas Ntsewa, was a possible replacement for Thabo Makunyane as mayor of Polokwane.

Refilwe Ramothwala and Napoleon Mboweni were being touted for the position of mayor of the Greater Tzaneen municipality.

"Mushwana is in the good books of premier Cassel Mathale and he is likely to be deployed to rescue the already dying department of health and social development," said the source.