EXPELLED ANC Youth League treasurer Pule Mabe has appealed to the ANC leadership to reverse his axing.

It is understood Mabe has written to secretary-general Gwede Mantashe requesting his intervention.

Mabe was axed from his position and as a member of the league's national executive committee after a motion of no confidence in him was passed two weeks ago.

The embattled leader is also challenging the legality of the NEC meeting that took the decision.

It is believed the move was aimed at limiting his chances of taking over from Julius Malema to become president of the league.

Malema was expelled as league president after he was accused of sowing division and bringing the ANC into disrepute. Until Malema's woes began Mabe had been a close friend of the deposed leader.

Sowetan understands that Mabe begged Mantashe to intervene, citing as reason that some of the members who constituted the meeting that ultimately took the decision to remove him were not supposed to take part.

He also accused Ronald Lamola, the league's deputy president who chaired the meeting, of violating the rules and regulations of the ANCYL.

Among other things Mabe said Lamola had "unilaterally" ruled on a voting process by a show of hands and also granted ex-officio members an opportunity to participate in a process they were not supposed to.

According to Mabe ex-officio members (chairmen and secretaries of provinces) were not supposed to participate in taking "major decisions" such as removing a leader from office, as per the league's constitution.

Mabe also said the unity of the ANCYL was under threat.

He complained that the NEC, in passing a motion to remove him from office with immediate effect, never sought to engage him or anybody present at the meeting on the correctness or not of the reasons advanced for the decision.

ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said yesterday that Mantashe would handle Mabe's complaint once it had reached his office.