Most ANC national executive committee members agree that President Thabo Mbeki must be removed from office, the ANC Youth League said on Tuesday.

"We have approached individual members of the ANC NEC to ensure that the removal of Thabo Mbeki becomes an ANC NEC resolution this weekend, and the majority of them are agreeing with us on this issue," ANCYL president Julius Malema told reporters in Johannesburg.

"This one we won't lose. We'll have Mbeki removed. We don't fight to lose... even now you must sense something. He is going. It doesn't matter who says what. Mbeki will not be president of this country when we go to elections.

"It must be an ANC NEC decision by this weekend," said Malema.

Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson, who declared the corruption and fraud prosecution against ruling party leader Jacob Zuma invalid on Friday, also said in his judgment that he could not exclude the possibility of a political plot against Zuma.

Malema said the judgment had given the ANCYL more ammunition to back up its demand that Mbeki be removed from office. The ANC's national working committee held a meeting on Monday where it discussed the matter. Its national executive committee will meet at the weekend.

Zuma on Sunday compared the Mbeki administration to a "dead snake", hinting that it was unnecessary to remove him from office since elections would be held soon.

But Malema said the media put words into Zuma's mouth. "I don't think we are contradicting the [ANC] president ... [but] he will speak on behalf of the NEC on Sunday," said Malema.

He said Mbeki, Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla, her predecessor Penuell Maduna and former chief prosecutor Bulelani Ngcuka would be called before the ANC to explain themselves. Ngcuka was the first to announce that there was a prima facie case against Zuma.

"Mbeki, after being removed, he must still come and explain to the ANC. Mbeki, Maduna, Ngcuka, Brigitte Mabandla, they must come and explain to the ANC: 'Why do you use the power the ANC has given you against the ANC and against your own comrades?' " said Malema.

The ANCYL stopped short of calling for Mbeki's expulsion from the ANC, saying it first wanted to hear what he had to say.

"If you remove Mbeki and certain people go with him, there's an indication that they were not members of the ANC, they were members of an individual. They too can go. We don't have a problem with that.

"We have expelled many people including [Bantu] Holomisa. He thought he was going to form something bigger than the ANC, only to find he was popular because he was associated with the ANC.

"Nobody is [more] popular than the African National Congress." Malema said the Presidency should not appeal Nicholson's judgment in court because this was a political matter and not a legal matter.

"You must all be worried that the president can use his power to his political advantage and don't say why are you not giving him a chance in court. What court? He doesn't have to go to court. He has abused his political power."

Even the success of Mbeki's mediation efforts in Zimbabwe was too little, too late, said Malema.

"We have lost interest in him.. we have lost political respect. Even that victory of Zimbabwe, we can't see it properly because of how he behaved. It's a very good breakthrough but you know, with all the problems here at home we can't even see that nice victory."

Malema denied that a removal from office would throw the party into disarray and make preparations for the elections next year difficult.

"This is going to be the best and simplest election with a president who's known to people, who belongs to people. It's not going to be a difficult one.

"You will remember, when we introduced Mbeki it was most difficult... because many people didn't know him. We had to introduce him among the people and popularise him and make him a man of the people and make him kiss even old women and men on the street just for people to see that he can live among them.

"[But the current] president of the ANC [Zuma] comes second after [Nelson] Mandela in terms of his charisma and his appealing to people...

"This is going to be the simplest election."

He acknowledged that a removal from office would be an "abnormal situation" but said the new ANC leadership was uniting the party. "With that judgment on Friday, we are more united as the ANC than ever before."

Malema also said the ANCYL did not believe that an independent inquiry should be held into the arms deal, to which the charges against Zuma relate.

"We need to close the matter on the arms deal once and for all and focus on something else. We cannot be stuck with the arms deal as if we've got [nothing else] to attend to. It has been there for some time... We think, let's move forward and... not be stuck with the arms deal."

Sapa