PLANS for the march against lack of service delivery in Makhado, Limpopo, on Friday have been thrown into disarray because of what organisers call "political hijacking" of the event.

The South African Communist Party, the South African National Civic Organisation, the ANC and the South African Municipal Workers Union and several other community-based organisations have since withdrawn from the planned march.

This follows allegations that the ANC Youth League in the Vhembe region was bullying other formations to join the march and use the opportunity to bolster its plans to oust mayor Mavhungu Luruli.

But ANCYL Vhembe regional secretary, Mpho Mudau, dismissed the allegations as "untrue".

He did not want to comment further.

The task team's facilitator for the planned march, Lucas Masindi, said it became clear at a preparatory meeting last week that there was a "certain structure" that wanted to hijack the march to serve a certain purpose.

"This structure wants to use the march to denounce the mayor," Masindi said.

Local SACP secretary, Vincent Malivha, said the purpose of the march had been "poisoned". He accused a certain ANC councillor of "working behind the scenes" with the ANCYL to oust Luruli.

"The purpose of the march has now been lost because certain people are lobbying the masses to support calls for the resignation of the mayor," Malivha said.

Samwu's Elvis Tlou and ANC branch secretary, Barrick Maluleke, also distanced their respective organisations from the march.

"We submitted our memorandum to the municipality last week about workers' demands and we are waiting for the response," Tlou said.

The Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association's chairman Inga Gilfilian indicated that the association would not join the march to support any purpose other than the lack of service delivery.