South Africa's ruling African National Congress is desperately trying to bridge the widening cracks in its partnership with the South African Communist Party (SACP) after its youth wing leader Julius Malema was booed and heckled at the SACP's national conference recently.
As a close ally of President Jacob Zuma, Mr Malema, 27, is one of the most influential people in the country.
He is also one of its most divisive.
The communist delegates booed Mr Malema after he had called SACP deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin a "white messiah" in a row over proposals to nationalise the country's mines.
After being heckled, Mr Malema stormed out, saying that he would report the matter to the president.
Following the row, the ANC distanced itself from his statements - not for the first time - but no disciplinary action has ever been taken against Mr Malema.
His own man?
The ANC youth league leader garnered a lot of support for Mr Zuma in the run-up to the April elections, so some argue that the president is in some way indebted to him. 
It has been suggested that his outrageous utterances may be coming from higher up in the ANC.
During Mr Zuma's long legal troubles, which his allies blame on a plot by then President Thabo Mbeki, Mr Malema infamously said: "We are prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma".
His statement drew widespread condemnation from politicians and South Africans - opposition parties questioned why President Zuma, who was also present at the rally, had not publicly reprimanded Mr Malema.
But whether from his own thoughts or taking a cue from his seniors, what Mr Malema has said has sometimes come to pass.
He was among the first to announce that Mr Mbeki would be sacked as president.
