Expelled Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) boss Zwelinzima Vavi has threatened to sue the federation's president Sdumo Dlamini in his personal capacity as the dirty fight for the federation took yet another dramatic turn.

Vavi gave Dlamini a warning in a text message yesterday, saying he could not go out "defaming" him without any consequences.

"Sidumo I have to consider suing you in your personal capacity if you go out to just lie. Which charges relating to the credit card did I ever face?

"Which forensic report says money has been misused by me? Which new federation did I create? Which meeting of the United Front did I attend?" he asked.

Vavi was responding to statements by Cosatu leaders that he still had to answer to findings by audit firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo that he was "implicated" in the irregular sale and purchase of Cosatu headquarters.

In that same SMS, Vavi challenged Dlamini to bring evidence that he used Cosatu resources to prop up the leftist formation led by metalworkers union Numsa, the United Front.

"Be warned. This is not a banana republic when you can just go and defame [me] without consequences."

Vavi could not be reached for comment. Dlamini said: "I don't discuss SMSes, I discuss issues of workers."

At a press conference to hit back at Cosatu, Vavi launched a veiled attack on President Jacob Zuma, saying the president had fooled Cosatu after it supported him during the ANC elective conference in Polokwane in 2007.

"We went to Polokwane and agitated for our members to support the 13 point programme for transformation of the economy.

"We believed in the national health insurance, the priority to education and training, agrarian reform, fighting crime and corruption and so we mobilised for that.

"Any leader who would have not been fully committed to that programme, don't blame us for being foolish because we were following an idea which was good. It was in the interest of members."

Cosatu leaders could not take the blame for what Vavi said was a "crisis" unfolding in the country. This included the weakening of workers' formations by a "predatory" elite for self-enrichment.

"We did everything we did in good faith but we are learning lessons. One of the biggest lessons is never ever rely on [an] individual but an organisation."

Vavi said he was going back to the grass roots of Cosatu to ask members what should be the way forward for the federation.

This will see him crisscrossing the country in what will be a titanic battle for Cosatu with Dlamini. "Can we still win Cosatu or have we reached the end of the road where we should now consider alternatives?" he asked.

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