Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi on Thursday reaffirmed the trade union federation's commitment to the African National Congress- (ANC-) led tripartite alliance.

"We are committed to this alliance. We entered [into it] with open eyes," Vavi said, at a Cosatu and Numsa discussion in Newtown.

Vavi, however, pressed the point that Cosatu's loyalty to the ANC alliance did not mean that the federation had to report to the ANC.

"We are an independent body... no one will prescribe to us who must be our friends and who must be our enemies," he said.

He was referring to comments made by the ANC after Cosatu attended a conference with the South African National Civic Organisation.

The ANC accused Vavi of taking an "oppositionist" stance towards the ANC-led government at the Sanco conference.

Vavi said that the alliance - which included the ANC, Cosatu and the SA Communist Party - was not about to break up.

He also appreciated progress made by the ruling party following its national general council in Durban.

Vavi said that the leadership of the ANC succeeded in "pushing the envelope" and defended resolutions made in its 52nd National Conference in Polokwane in 2007.

The fact that the ANC agreed that the National Health Insurance should be implemented by 2012, instead of the 2020 deadline it had set before the council, was a good sign.

Further federation welcomed the implementation of government's New Growth Path economic strategy, unveiled by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel on Tuesday.

"But my fear is whether government can force [company] executives to freeze their accounts."

Before the council leaders of the ANC were not driving any agenda as the council was held to ransom by factions that threatened to remove them from their positions if they made decisions unpopular with the group.

The ruling party also managed to alienate the faction he termed "the tendency" - a group obsessed with holding powerful positions in the party.

The faction was determined on using the power to accumulate wealth "which they displayed every weekend at sushi parties".

He was apparently referring to a birthday party of businessman Kenny Kunene's that ANC Youth League president Julius Malema attended.

"They know they cannot continue to loot," he said.

Cosatu was in the process of forming a Section 21 corruption watchdog company which was aimed at ending the looting of state resources.

Vavi also emphasised the need for senior SACP leaders, including its general secretary and Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande to go back to their jobs in the party.

"Their slogan is: 'socialism is the future - build it now', but no one is there to build it now," he said.

Cosatu had held bilateral meetings with the SACP owing to tensions between the organisations, which he said were unacceptable.

"We cannot afford to allow loosening of the relationship between Cosatu and the SACP. The SACP is the vanguard of our struggle," said Vavi.