The "Shikota" interim youth movement had to defend its leaders from claims of elitism and poor performance while in government when it met the media on Wednesday.

The yet to be named movement said that former Defence Minister Terror Lekota, his deputy Mluleki George and former Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa had worked as part of a collective.

This was in response to questions on whether they were not also responsible for what they say are shortcomings in government and the ANC which they broke away from.

One of the committee members, Uzayr Jeenah, said that although the leaders took responsibility for the work while they were in office, he added that a Human Sciences Research Council report had found that Gauteng, led by Shilowa until October, had the best service delivery of all the provinces.

Responding to the claims that they were only appealing to the elite, he said he understood elitism to be the best one can be.

"As somebody who has grown up under democratic rule, what is wrong with being the best that I can be?"

He rejected criticism that they were only a movement for the rich.

The movement held a convention in Sandton last weekend, described by ANC president Jacob Zuma as "a place for the rich". Shilowa has also been accused by the Congress of SA Trade Unions of being a whisky-swilling egotist.

His wife Wendy Luhabe came under fire from the ANC Youth League on Wednesday when it claimed she was trying to use her business platforms, including a lunch at Absa and her chairmanship of the Industrial Development Council, to lobby for the movement.

Interim youth league convenor, Anele Mda, said their leaders had "jumped off the train when they saw that it was not going in the direction they liked".

The league intends meeting again on 16 January 2009 to formalise its structures according to what delegates that they are meeting want.

Other people introduced to the media were Brett MacDonald, who works for At Home security company and Malusi Booi, an engineer by qualification, Afrika Ndima, an entrepreneur, who said he was focusing on creating employment opportunities for the youth.

Their main focus areas would be education, health, economy and the fight against crime.

Mda, a former ANC Youth League member from the Eastern Cape, said education was particularly important to the youth.

They movement also want to reclaim 16 June 1976 as a "platform for the heroes" and not just a day of music.

"We will use events like ... 16 June to encourage young people to take education as the most fundamental value in their lives and not turn this historic day into a music festival where young people engage in regrettable public activities."

The movement was formed by disgruntled ANC members.

At the convention on Saturday, Mda also lamented the way the youth were treating adults.