The Young Communist League of SA in Gauteng "does not doubt" the decision taken by the ANC's National Executive Committee to appoint Gauteng housing MEC Nomvula Mokonyane as premier of the province, it said in a statement on Friday.

However, it noted that "there are those amongst our structures whose tongues are littered with malice which seeks to undermine and ridicule the decision of the NEC."

Earlier the ANCYL Gauteng's provincial secretary Thabo Kupa told SABC Radio that his organisation had wanted the position to go to the current Gauteng premier Paul Mashatile.

According to the YCLSA, it had to be understood that to be the Provincial Chairperson of the ANC (another of Mashatile's positions) did not guarantee one an automatic ticket to be the premier.

"This should serve as a call to the Alliance leadership to formulate a structured discussion as we approach 2014 on deployments to key strategic centres of power and influence.

"We call on the structures of the ANC Alliance in the province to rally behind the decision of the NEC and defeat politically those who undermine the political authority of the NEC," the YCLSA said.