Julius Malema has called on cabinet ministers to take public HIV tests as part of the African National Congress Youth League's "one boyfriend, one girlfriend" campaign.

In an interview with Independent Newspapers, Malema claimed that Youth League leaders were exemplary role models who only had a single partner and he personally was not attached to anyone.

There were many virgins in his own organisation, Malema claimed.

He said he intended encouraging his fellow youth league leaders to test for HIV.

"It is very important that we lead by example and when that time comes we will announce (it). I think that is what we need to encourage leadership to undergo a public HIV test.

"The president of the ANC (Zuma) has done that in the recent past. We don't see why some of us, as leaders, can't engage in that exercise. It all depends on your mood and readiness. It would be very inspiring and courageous, it should be encouraged among leadership, especially in government and all organisations that have a huge following and a serious influence in South Africa... They must lead by example," said Malema.

"One boyfriend, one girlfriend is part of government strategy to fight Aids. Many people think having many girlfriends and sleeping around is an in-thing, it makes you a cool guy. On the other side there are girls who believe having many boys means that you are in demand and every hunk is looking for you. That perpetuates the spread of HIV," he said.

Malema said there was no contradiction between the one-partner campaign and the polygamous lifestyle of his hero, President Jacob Zuma.

"The issues of the elders don't need the young ones to speak about. That is the affairs of our father, we will be undermining him, but fair enough to say we don't see anything wrong. Questioning that will be questioning our culture and those are not (Zuma's) girlfriends, they are his wives. I was talking about boyfriends and girlfriends... Our president doesn't feature," Malema said.

Ironically, Malema now says he has a lot of respect for former president Thabo Mbeki, the man he helped topple.

"I don't hate Thabo Mbeki, I have lots of respect for him. It was not about me, everything that I said about him was not my perspective but I was communicating the position of the Youth League," he said.