President Jacob Zuma’s cheerleader‚ the ANC Youth League‚ has vowed to oppose any attempts to have him recalled at Wednesday’s special national executive committee (NEC) meeting in East London.

Speaking to the Dispatch in Duncan Village during a door-to-door visit to child-headed households on Tuesday‚ ANCYL secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza said anyone who called for Zuma’s removal would be “vindictive”.

The meeting‚ to be held at the East London ICC‚ will give an indication of the balance of forces within Cyril Ramaphosa’s NEC.

The NEC‚ which is the highest decision-making body in between ANC conferences‚ is meeting for the first time after the election of the party’s new leadership last month at Nasrec.

Officially the meeting is to discuss the January 8 anniversary statement to be delivered by Ramaphosa on Saturday.

But talks of a motion to remove Zuma being forced into the agenda have been gaining momentum.

However‚ Nzuza said they would not take kindly to any talk about recalling Zuma.

This story first appeared on Daily Dispatch