He is said to have last paid his R12 annual ANC membership fee in 2009.

Those who fail to pay the fee are barred from ANC activities. Malema, leader of the ANC Youth League, is facing a five-year suspension from the ruling party for his public comments about it and its leaders.

Records in The Times' possession show that Malema renewed his league membership on July 14 2009 for a R10 fee.

Approached for comment yesterday, a surprised Malema told The Times it was news to him that his membership had not been renewed.

He referred the newspaper to Jacob Lebogo, the league's provincial secretary. But he could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Malema and his lieutenants, Lebogo and Jossie Buthane, have reportedly refused to renew their membership of the ANC's Seshego branch, in Polokwane, Limpopo. Buthane is chairman of the Milo Malatjie branch of the ANC in Seshego .

Boy Mamabolo was elected chairman of the branch during an annual general meeting held at Mowana Lodge, in Seshego, yesterday.

Mamabolo said that every year branches would remind their members to renew their membership.

He said this was done for Malema, Lebogo and Buthane but the three failed to respond, reportedly because the league's Peter Mokaba region had been disbanded.

But the branch has not been dissolved and the region has appealed against the decision to disband it.

Buthane refuted claims that the three had not renewed their membership .

"Malema is a member in good standing, so are Lebogo and myself," Buthane said.

He said the disbanding of the region meant the disbanding of all branches in the region and that yesterday's meeting in Seshego was not sanctioned by the youth league.

The ANC leadership battle, which has now been joined by youth league structures, is going to get fiercer.

Malema and his top leadership will find out soon whether their appeal has succeeded.

At the centre of the tension between Malema and some within the ANC is his call for a change in party leadership when the ruling party holds its national elective conference in Mangaung in December.

The youth league wants ANC president Jacob Zuma replaced by his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, and party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe replaced by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula.

• Speaking at a centenary event in Mogale City, yesterday, Gauteng ANC Youth League chairman Lebohang Maile said the ANC should not be led by populists.

He said the party should rid itself of people who were obsessed with the accumulation of wealth.

The youth league in Gauteng said it will push for the scrapping of the tender system when the ANC holds its policy conference in June.