The ANC Youth League has blamed beneficiaries of outgoing mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa for the widespread looting that took place in Tshwane over the past week.

The SACP and SA National Civics Organisation in the region supported the charge.

ANCYL Tshwane chairman Lesego Makhubela said a group of ANC leaders told protesters and extended public works programme (EPWP) workers that their livelihoods would be dashed if Ramokgopa was not retained.

"These people were told that if (Thoko) Didiza replaced Ramokgopa, she will clean up the inner city and remove hawkers and also discontinue EPWP.

"You must understand that these people depend on these R2000, R3000 amounts they get to survive," Makhubela said.

He refused to disclose the names of the ANC leaders, as did State Security Minister David Mahlobo on Tuesday.

Makhubela said he and other leaders were working on calming the disgruntled workers, who he said were told Didiza would bring people from KwaZulu-Natal to replace them in their jobs.

He said Ramokgopa had failed to bring unity in the ANC and its alliance partners in the region.

An Atteridgeville ANC branch leader who did not want to be named blamed councillors for misinforming residents who went on the rampage against Didiza's appointment.

Sanco chairman Samuel Matlala said Ramokgopa and his rival Mapiti Matsena were deeply beholden to their factions who had hoped to benefit if either of them were appointed mayors.

"They must stay away from the city totally because as long as they are still there, we will have these problems," he said.

SACP regional secretary Apson Makaung said the riots had been hijacked by people who were not even ANC members.

"But it was started by people who were doing it in his (Ramokgopa's) interest," he said.

Wednesday a meeting of the provincial and regional leadership with branch leaders of the hostile areas was cancelled.

The contest between Ramokgopa, who is also the party's regional chairman, and Matsena was brought to an end at the weekend when the ANC decided to appoint Didiza to the post.

The announcement prompted large scale protests in the metro's townships, especially in Ramokgopa's home town, Atteridgeville.

His spokesman Blessing Manale accused the ANCYL of spreading misinformation by claiming there were ANC people who had approached hawkers.

"The executive mayor has called upon the community, residents and structures of the ANC including the ANCYL to embrace the unifying decision of his party and to desist from acts of violence, misinformation in his name and condemns in the harshest terms such actions and utterances."