The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Tuesday condemned statements by Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association’s (MKMVA's) Kebby Maphatsoe and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister David van Rooyen against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, and accused the MKMVA of brewing factional battles within the tri-partite alliance.

“Cosatu is deeply disappointed by the actions of MKMVA leaders, comrades Kebby Maphatsoe and Des Van Rooyen, of publicly condemning another minister [Pravin Gordhan] using their different political hats as a justification. We find this insincere and distasteful because these ministers have many forums available at their disposal to internally discuss this matter and raise their views inside the ANC [African National Congress],” Cosatu said in a statement.

“These comrades are all ANC ministers serving one cabinet and one organisation, and do not need press conferences to engage and reconcile their positions. The MKMVA leadership is continuing to propagate the same factional battles of the ANC that have eroded the overwhelming support that the ANC-led Alliance enjoyed amongst our people.”

Cosatu, together with the South African Communist Party and the African National Congress, form the tri-partite alliance.

Maphatsoe, also Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, and Van Rooyen, both in their capacity as MKMVA leaders, lambasted Gordhan over the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) saga at a media briefing on Monday. Van Rooyen called on Gordhan to “stop running to the media” and present himself to the Hawks as requested.

This came in the wake of reports that the Hawks had wrapped up its probe into the activities of the South African Revenue Services (Sars) so-called “rogue unit” and would soon bring charges against Gordhan that included allegations corruption. The unit was established while Gordhan was Sars commissioner. He had refused to present himself to the Hawks as summoned last week and said there was no legal obligation for him to do so.

Van Rooyen was replaced by Gordhan as finance minister after only four days which saw the rand tumble late last year.