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Cape Town - "I am a fighter. I do not just walk away when I think something is wrong."
With these words, Zwelinzima Vavi responded to reports that he intended accepting his dismissal as general secretary of Cosatu and would leave to establish a rival federation. The formal announcement of his dismissal by the majority of the federation's central executive committee (CEC) is expected after midday on Tuesday.
READ: Cosatu expels Vavi
According to leaked reports from the CEC meeting, 31 of the CEC delegates voted for his expulsion, with one against. However, seven Cosatu affiliates boycotted the meeting which also agreed to accept the membership of a small, rival metalworkers' union, Limusa, headed by former National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) president Cedric Gina.
By accepting membership of Limusa, the CEC majority underlined their claim that the expulsion of Numsa is final. However, like the dismissal of Vavi, it is not - at least not in terms of the federation's democratic constitution.
According to the constitution, only a national congress of delegates of all affiliated unions can ratify - and may overturn - the suspension or expulsion of any office bearer or affiliate. What the Limusa membership and the refusal for nearly two years to call a special national congress signifies is that the CEC majority are determined to - in the words of Vavi - "surgically remove" both himself and Numsa. But this is unlikely to happen without a fight.
READ: Defiant Vavi wants to stop Cosatu hijack
Vavi and Numsa may have recourse to the courts where they could argue that both have to be present at the next national congress, scheduled for September, where they and their supporters may put their arguments with the delegates having the right to make any final decisions.
However, whatever happens it seems almost inevitable that Cosatu will fragment, with one section remaining part of the ANC-led alliance while the other adopts a non-party political stance.
In this case, the smaller of the three major federations, the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu), is already committed to join with the latter group. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, which now dominates the mining sector's platinum belt, is the largest Nactu affiliate.
