ANC Youth League president Julius Malema yesterday accused Congress of the People officials of benefitting from corruption in the controversial arms deal.

Speaking to students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, in Port Elizabeth, yesterday, Malema said ANC president Jacob Zuma was “a victim of people who did not agree with him politically”.

In a veiled reference to leaders of the breakaway party , he said: ‘‘Those who left the ANC, the majority of them are the ones who benefitted from the arms deal *1 … the crooks who stole money from the government of the people.”

Malema said Cope leaders were correct in believing that the ANC was not the same party they knew ­ a reason many of the Cope leaders used when they left the party.

“Those who are saying that this ANC is different from their ANC are correct because this ANC we changed in Polokwane. The ANC in the past 10 years was in the pocket of one man. We had to remove it from the pocket and take it back to the people ,” he said.

The fiery youth leader encouraged people not to renew the ANC’s mandate if it did not meet its service-delivery promises over the next five years.

“The ANC is the only one that will make sure the people’s demands are met … if the ANC is not carrying your mandate, you have the right to recall [it].”