The African National Congress Youth League has launched a scathing attack on the chairman of De Beers Nicky Oppenheimer.

The lashing came after Oppenheimer spoke up in support of Minerals Minister Susan Shabangu.

Earlier this week she declared that mines would not be nationalised during her lifetime.

Long list of targets

Oppenheimer is just the latest on a long list of ANCYL targets who have opposed its call to nationalise mines.

In a strongly worded statement, the league slammed Oppenheimer for trying to protect his "ill-gotten wealth".

League spokesman Floyd Shivambu accused Oppenheimer of applying double standards, because De Beers was already in mining partnerships with the governments of Botswana, Namibia and Canada.

'Exploiting workers'

He went further and labelled De Beers "an inconsistent, immoral and inhuman corporation, whose development and growth has been at the expense of many innocent lives."

Shivambu accused De Beers of exploiting African labourers for years through forced cheap labour.

He also accused Oppenheimer of sponsoring "murderous" colonial and apartheid regimes.