THE Congress of South African Trade Unions has vowed to fight against corrupt ANC members opposed to the proposed lifestyle audits of public representatives.

Speaking at the National Union of Metalworkers bargaining council conference in Johannesburg, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said they were prepared to lose friends within the ruling alliance in its campaign to fight corruption.

"We must step up the fight against corruption, against the self-enrichment culture, and against crass materialism including the abuse of state power and institutions for narrow materialistic reasons.

Vavi said the labour federation was trying to stop the country from being turned into a failed state.

"If we don't do this, some fellows will drive us there, using rhetoric in the streets about fighting poverty while refusing to explain where they got their 4x4s."

"We must campaign to expose those tenderpreneurs who through their connections, win tenders and provide shoddy services.

The Cosatu boss said it was not good enough for ministers to merely declare their interests in the parliamentary register of members' interest.

"I have looked at those declarations. They merely mention that they have interests and no detail is given.

"It doesn't spell out any detail, particularly it doesn't tell the nature of the relationship that may exist between that company and the state in order to avoid the conflict of interest."

He said all public representatives should be subjected to national audits including councillors or members of opposition parties.

"This has nothing to do with this nonsense that we are targeting ANC members. It is not only ANC members who are public representatives.

"For God's sake, everybody knows that Helen Zille is the premier of the Western Cape and is not a member of the ANC."