Instability within the Tripartite Alliance (ANC, Cosatu, SACP) will reach a new level of intensity this week when Cosatu holds a four-day conference at which it will debate its worsening warfare with its Alliance "partners." A selection of commentators reveal who's knifing whom, which top ANC leaders are mainly under attack, contradictions in allegiances - and that Cosatu may be out on a limb:

1. Cosatu: Special draft report to be tabled at four-day Cosatu conference (see article) starting Monday (September 21). Secret coup alleged to topple some senior ANC leaders. "We know a group is emerging, big or small." Unity that toppled Thabo Mbeki as president at Polokwane in December 2007 "now fragmented...confusing mix-up between those who fought for change and those who resisted change." Report questions reliability of ANCYL and ANC Women's League, and refers to how ANCYL "has experienced bitter leadership battle."

2. Sunday Independent (Moshoeshoe Monare): ANC rocked by claims that some members plotting major political coup within ruling party to force changes on top six leadership. Last month, Sunday Independent reported that ANCYL wanted to replace Gwede Mantashe, ANC secretary general (and SACP national chairperson), with Fikile Mbalula, former ANCYL president, now Deputy Police Minister (see here).

3. Times Online (Justice Malala): Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education (and SACP general secretary) criticises purchases of expensive ministerial cars and is blasted by Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda and Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu (see here). "Blunt attacks on Cosatu such as these would not have happened a few months ago. The gloves are off." Cabinet Ministers are responding to Trevor Manuel, Minister of National Planning Commission, to join the fight against Cosatu." Many Cosatu leaders believe ANC leadership has been infilitrated by top government and party individuals "merely to feather their nests." Mantashe under attack by many non-communist, non-Cosatu ANC leaders. But Cosatu and SACP support Mantashe and ANC top six. Left might lose not only macroeconomic debates , but also "progressive values" which attracted many to ANC's cause and are "now being eroded by this conservative bias."

4. Business Day (Amy Musgrave): Manuel using National Planning Commission to become SA's de facto "imperial" prime minister (see article). Cosatu calls on Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel to assembly his team quickly before his mandate is negated by Manuel's plans. Growing tension over economic policy. No reference in Manuel's recent Green Paper to Patel's ministry, indicating it is subordinate to Manuel's "Planning Ministry."

5. Mail & Guardian (Matuma Letsoala and Mmanaledi Mataboge): Cosatu has declared war on Trevor Manuel - he's trying to take over running of country. Cosatu also targeting "1996 class project," - Thabo Mbeki's pro-macro economics group. Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini singles out Manuel for attack, but claims Patel is "moving away" from "1996 class project." ANC denounces Cosatu's attack on Manuel (see article).

6. Centre for Policy Studies (Aubrey Matshiqi): Fighting for the soul of ANC is "stick fight in the darkness." Mbeki was "the glue that held the Zuma coalition together...Motives of an ignoble nature - parochial interests, naked ambition and avarice - were the strongest drivers of the tension between the Zuma and Mbeki factions" (see article).

7. Business Day (Chantelle Benjamin):"As Cosatu rushed to put out fires yesterday caused by a leaked report suggesting a plot to replace the ANC's top six leaders, the SACP played down suggestions of a "coup." Referring to a rumoured coup to oust Zuma as ANC president at the party's conference in 2012, Benjamin said: Zuma "is well aware of the succession debate...Cosatu recently took aim at politicians who still have business interests...The people directly affected would be cabinet ministers such as Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda."

8. Moeletsi Mbeki's take can be read here...