Seshego, Julius Malema's home town, erupted into wild celebrations last night following the firebrand's suspension as president of the ANC Youth League.

Large convoys of cars noisily drove through the streets of the township, just outside Polokwane in Limpopo, with people hanging out of windows.

Residents, young and old, came out of their houses to join in the celebrations. This happened in the presence of police.

Malema and his lieutenants, who had been hero-worshipping him, were nowhere to be seen.

The group sang anti-Malema songs as they welcomed his downfall.

"It's over with Malema. There will be peace in South Africa," sang the group.

"We have had enough of Malema and his group, who had been looking at their own interests rather than those of the masses who voted them into power.

"He should have known that what goes around comes around," warned one of the angry protesters, who refused to be identified for fear of victimisation.

"We want Sello Moloto back to lead Limpopo because there is a leadership vacuum," said another, who clearly showed disapproval of current Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale's leadership style.

• The sanctions imposed on the youth league's top six officials were widely welcomed yesterday. Many saw them as a move to restore discipline.

"We cannot allow people to engage in deviant behaviour and not act," said ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.

Other political parties and civil society groups applauded the decision by the ANC's national disciplinary committee to axe Malema as league president, and Floyd Shivambu as his spokesman, saying they had polarised South Africa and damaged the country's reputation.

Malema was slapped with a five-year suspension and Shivambu with a three-year ban.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions would not comment specifically on the sanctions, but said the union federation was committed to discipline in the ANC.

DA youth leader Makashule Gana said the move would be a catalyst for the ANC's internal power struggles and cause a realignment of politics in the next five years.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said South Africa was a better place: "Malema and Shivambu have without a doubt caused a lot of damage to South Africa internationally as well as nationally."

ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said the ruling sent a strong message to the youth league that ill-discipline in any form would not be tolerated.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said Malema had been caught in the crossfire of an ambiguous policy.

"We find it mind-boggling how the same ANC failed to sanction Malema for insulting former president Thabo Mbeki in 2008," he said. "The verdict on him will certainly be finalised at the ANC's 2012 Mangaung conference."

Malema has been ordered to vacate his office. - Additional reporting by Sapa