The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has vowed to go after anyone within the movement, regardless of who it is, who is involved in a plot to remove the party’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.

This is according to the league's outgoing president Collen Maine.

"Not everyone is going to love Cyril Ramaphosa, but we have to live with [the fact] that he is the president of the ANC and we must all rally behind him,” Maine said.

Maine warned that the league would defend Ramaphosa from anyone, including leaders within the organisation.

Speaking to News24, he said he engaged with its KwaZulu-Natal secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo over claims that he was part of a meeting, along with secretary general Ace Magashule, ANC Women’s League secretary general Meokgo Matuba, ousted ANC North West premier Supra Mahumapelo and former president Jacob Zuma, where ways to remove Ramaphosa were reportedly discussed.

Sabelo denied the Sunday Times' claims over the weekend that he was a part of the clandestine meeting. He said he had been at the Durban hotel where the meeting took place because a leader in the ANC had called him there.

The provincial secretary also logged a complaint with the press ombudsman over the story.

"I have personally spoken to Thanduxolo as the provincial secretary in KZN and the comrade explained to me, how he found himself at the Maharaj," said Maine.

"The comrade was not part of that meeting," he added.

Magashule has also denied any sinister motives, saying that he often has meetings with the former president.

Maine said the ANCYL was satisfied with the version of events Sabelo had given it.

"The ANCYL is not part of clandestine meetings. We will not allow anybody to undermine the elected leadership of the ANC," said Maine.

Maine said the ANC was at a stage where it should not allow conspiracy theories to divide it.

"If there is anybody who intends to undermine the sitting leadership, the ANCYL will do anything in its power to defend the leadership because branches have elected Cyril Ramaphosa to run the organisation for five years, [they did] so understand[ing] that prosecuting the revolution is not like a show called 'All you need is love'," he concluded.

The league threw its weight behind former African Union commission chairperson, now Minister in the Presidency, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to replace Zuma as president of the ANC in December last year. But she narrowly missed out with branches of the party opting to elect Ramaphosa into the position instead.