Durban – The ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday hit out at SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu, saying he led like a traditional leader.
Speaking at a press briefing in Durban on Monday, the ANCYL hit back at the South African Communist Party after it held a briefing last week attacking the "young lions".
The ANCYL said the SACP had accused it of operating in a similar manner to former ANCYL president, Julius Malema.
The league said it believed that Mthembu was behind the mudslinging.
Mthembu was not immediately available for comment and did not respond to a detailed SMS sent to him.
ANCYL provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabela said: "Themba Mthembu must accept that we are the PEC members of the ANC, he is just a branch member and we are leading him.
"The ANC is a self-respecting organisation and we will never go and discuss who should lead in other organisations, we only discuss our own issues and our blood allows us to speak about any issue."
The league earlier told the SACP to mind its own business and stop meddling in ANC matters.
It also called on the SACP to refrain from speaking about leadership succession discussions in future.
ANCYL treasurer Siyabonga Nene said Mthembu led like a "traditional leader".
"He behaves like someone who believes that he must head-hunt leaders. We only understand the language of democracy. We are going to make sure that that cancer does not move from that side [SACP] to this side [ANC]."