Julius Malema, the head of the youth arm of South Africa's governing African National Congress, has been attracting the support of scores of the country's unemployed black youth.

He led thousands through the streets of the economic capital, Johannesburg on Thursday, in support of calls he made to nationalise South African mines and seize white-owned land.

However, analysts say that Malema is using the cries to divert attention from his possible expulsion from the party, dependant on an ongoing disciplinary hearing against him, as well as his strained relationship with President Jacob Zuma, in the run-up to ANC's leadership election next year.

Al Jazeera's Gladys Njoroge reports from Johannesburg.