ANC Youth League president Julius Malema says he called on police to intervene in his organisation's chaotic Limpopo elective conference because he believed that the situation was "life-threatening".
Close allies of Malema were elected to top positions, but their election is being disputed by the ousted leadership, who say the police action caused them to flee the conference venue and are claiming administrative irregularities.
Malema and other members of the league's national executive took control of the conference at the weekend, insisting that the former provincial leadership, which opposes Malema, had "dissolved" itself after members went to ground in an apparent bid to bring proceedings to halt.
The contest took place amidst allegations of unfair play, irregularities, stone-throwing and an ill-tempered attempt by Malema to clobber an opponent with a chair during registration - although he denied this.
At a press conference on Sunday Malema said the new leadership - chairman Frans Moswane and secretary (a close friend of Malema) Jacob Lebogo - was legitimate.
The ousted leadership has said it will not recognise the new leaders.
Malema called on police to intervene on Saturday because there was a "life-threatening" situation and VIPs such as Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale - also a Malema ally - and MECs, whom the police were obliged to protect, were present.
"We will not allow hooligans to loot the ANC Youth League alive," Malema said.
"We felt we have the responsibility to protect the conference of the ANC Youth League. We would have failed if we had allowed the conference to collapse in our hands," he said.
Police, apparently acting in response to an instruction from Malema, ejected anti-Malema delegates after they tried to disrupt the conference, complaining that the youth league leader was behind the disqualification of some branches, allegedly due to "audit problems".
The police action came after ANC security officials, drawn from the military veterans' association MKMVA, refused to act against the delegates, saying they had been accredited to be present at the conference.
Former Limpopo league deputy secretary Thandi Moraka claimed that "life-threatening" police action had caused the former leadership to flee the conference.
Malema also ejected journalists, as well as the ANC's fuming security guards.
Outside the venue, police used water cannons and were also said to have used rubber bullets - although this could not be confirmed - to disperse the toyi-toying group.
Angry delegates shouted slogans, including "Masoga or war", in favour of their preferred candidate - the ousted provincial chair, Lehlogonolo Masoga.
They carried a printed banner saying: "No to tender committee", a reference to reports about Malema securing multi-million rand tenders from the Limpopo government.
Yellow T-shirts with Malema's face on the front and the word "Dubula!" (shoot) printed twice on the back formed part of the pro-Malema camp's regalia.
The other camp claimed it did not have T-shirts because it had no money from tenders.
Leadership nominations went ahead late on Saturday night in a session Malema ordered closed to the media. He claimed there had been a quorum of 72 percent, or 543 out of the 750 delegates present.
Malema said the process was overseen by an independent electoral committee as well as leaders from ANC structures.
No elections were required, as all nominations were unanimously in favour of the Malema camp.
Policy discussions were crammed into an hour-long session on Sunday before lunch and the closure of the conference by the victorious leaders.
Bottles and used and unused condoms left strewn about the parking lot on Sunday bore silent witness to the party that followed the elections, with some delegates spotted still with beers in their hands yesterday afternoon.
Security was notably more lax, but a police vehicle and water cannon remained at the gates, only departing when no further trouble was reported.
