The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in Limpopo has welcomed the removal of former minister of higher education and training Blade Nzimande from Cabinet.

In a statement on Tuesday, provincial secretary David "Che" Selane said Nzimande's removal was "long overdue".

"The ANCYL in Limpopo believes that Mr Nzimande's presence in Cabinet has not only contributed to the demise of the SACP as a vanguard of the alliance, but has concentrated more selfishly on himself than on his primary mandate (sic)."

News24 reported earlier that Hlengiwe Mkhize, former home affairs minister, had been shifted to the higher education portfolio to replace Nzimande.

The only new addition is the relatively unknown Bongani Thomas Bongo, who was appointed state security minister.

Selane said the ANCYL in Limpopo rejected comments made by the South African Communist Party's (SACP) first deputy general secretary, Solly Mapaila, that Nzimande's removal was an attack on the SACP by President Jacob Zuma.

"The SACP of Solly Mapaila remained silent like a corpse in a mortuary when fellow SACP leaders in Limpopo were treated with disdain under the leadership of a central committee member of the SACP and former provincial chairperson of the SACP, who is the provincial chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo, Cde Stan Mathabatha."