While a Cosatu-affiliated union leader described Julius Malema as part of a "marauding gang" threatening to destabilise the ANC, the youth leader in turn warned the federation's Zwelinzima Vavi to stop demanding lifestyle audits.
At the centre of it all is a low-intensity war triggered by succession tensions ahead of the ANC's 2012 national conference, following skirmishes over the 2007 conference.
The youth league wants to replace ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe with Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula. This has angered Cosatu and the SA Communist Party as they see the coup intentions as motivated by anti-communist sentiments.
I think Juju's days are numbered, he has made too many enemies before he had enough power. I've always said it was Mantashe we should be watching and not some little upstart.
Hell, the SACP and NUMSA sometimes even surprise me:
The union also backed the SACP's call that all the names of people, including politicians, who applied for state tenders should be made public to prevent the "depletion" of taxpayers' money.
Cosatu general secretary Vavi wants politicians' lifestyles to be audited to expose their inexplicable wealth.
Malema's reply:
According to an insider, Malema said the so-called Left leaders were not as clean as they appeared to be.
No evidence, just threats as per usual. All bark and no bite, which means he can still be tamed.
Now the question is, how long will Zuma drag this dead weight around with him or will he cut Malema loose. If he doesn't Juju may drag Zuma down with him at the next Polokwane, remember it was the left that put Zuma there in the first place!