Former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota's statements on a split in the ANC are "a joke" and "a farce", according to the Young Communist League (YCL).

"The Young Communist League notes the cowardly media briefing convened by political mercenaries and aprons of the naked emperor, Terror Lekota and Mluleki George, today [Wednesday], 8 October 2008, at Hyde Park, Johannesburg," the league said in a statement.

"We view this media briefing as giving notice to the Alliance and the people of South Africa that Lekota and his [ilk] are forming a new political party.

"We are conscious that this has been hailed by political analysts and commentators as an epoch in the making.

"It might have been a tragedy when the Group 8, Pan Africanist Congress and [Bantu] Holomisa moved out or [were] expelled from the ANC.

"But currently this is a joke and that is why we say it is a farce," the YCL said.

The "Group 8" refers to a group which broke away from the ANC in 1959 in a challenge to former ANC president Oliver Tambo's ideological stance. A year later Robert Sobukwe formed the Pan Africanist Congress, Ngobese later explained.

"But this is just about power," said Ngobese.

Sapa