Congress of the People (Cope) president Mosiuoa Lekota has described calls for former President Thabo Mbeki and those who served under him to be charged with genocide as an irresponsible and dangerous distortion of the history of the country, the SABC reported on Monday.

Lekota was responding to calls by the Young Communist League for Mbeki to be charged for his alleged mishandling of the HIV/Aids issue during his term of office.

He said for a crime of genocide to be committed there must be a deliberate policy or decision to kill people. He said there was no such decision either by the African National Congress (ANC) or Cabinet.

Lekota's statement comes just a week after youth leader Julius Malema said the ANC Youth League would not allow Mbeki to be charged with genocide.

"We must never surrender our leaders," said Malema at a gala dinner of the Pan African Youth Union at Emperor's Palace in Boksburg last Monday.

"Thabo Mbeki might have made mistakes but we can never charge him.

"We must not charge one of our own. If we allow that, the same thing would happen to [Zimbabwean President Robert] Mugabe, and the same would happen to [President Jacob] Zuma, and the next thing you know they will come for you," Malema said.