Cosatu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has again warned the ANC and its affiliates of the dangers of corruption.

Speaking at the biennial congress of the eThekwini south region of the SA Democratic Teachers Union in Durban yesterday, Vavi said that if corruption were not stopped the ruling party would find itself in the "dustbin" in 2014, a general election year.

He lashed out at the corruption allegations levelled at Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

"In 2014, it would be 20 years into democracy, so it would difficult to go to the people and ask them to vote for the ANC again, saying they must remember the blood of Chris Hani, because by that time it would be irrelevant. People would want jobs, nothing else," he said.

Vavi said it was crucial for the ANC and President Jacob Zuma to implement the priorities - jobs and economy - or there would be a "disaster" waiting to happen.

On corruption, Vavi said he will never go to court and support an individual who has been accused of corruption.

"I will never make that mistake again in my life and I think we must all operate on the basis that if a person has been accused of corruption, he must not involve us no matter how much we love them.

"I will also never praise an individual but an organisation and I will never sing songs about an individual. Neither will I ever wear a T-shirt bearing the face of an individual, except Nelson Mandela."

Vavi in the past had supported Zuma by making an appearance and singing revolutionary songs at court when the ANC president faced corruption charges.

Vavi also welcomed Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to the club of people who are "victimised" for speaking out against corruption.

"I also received death threats in June last year before the World Cup. I reported the matter to the national police commissioner and the minister of police. A senior police officer was sent out investigate, but a year later, I still don't know of the findings. I don't know whether they were real or not so, to the Public Protector, I say welcome on board."

He added that it had become clear that all the people fighting or speaking out against corruption were being victimised.

Vavi backed Madonsela's call for protection, saying the reported criminal investigations against her were "suspicious". He said the timing of the reports that Madonsela was being investigated were "suspicious".

"It's suspicious that the Public Protector is under investigation. The question is why now, why all of a sudden? Today she was supposed to give a report on over a R1-billion investigations into a building involving the national police commissioner and some businessman here in Durban, but she could not do it. It raises questions," Vavi said.

Madonsela is finalising reports on contracts that the police entered into for the leasing of buildings in Pretoria and Durban. In her preliminary report, she found national police commissioner Bheki Cele guilty of maladministration.