Breakaway leaders Terror Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa want to use the poor to secure the wealth they had acquired under the banner of the ANC, said Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini on Wednesday.

"They are forming a political party of the very rich, in Sandton where the poor cannot reach.

"They want to use the poor to secure their wealth, acquired under the banner of the ANC — the banner of the workers and poor of this country," said Dlamini in an open letter responding to his invitation to the national convention for the formation of a new party.

He said he would not be attending the convention as he was busy.

"I will be busy meeting workers in the Eastern Cape and other places in the country, addressing their issues and preparing to vote for the ANC again."

Dlamini said he was "surprised" by the invitation, adding that his attention was drawn to the reasons for such a convention.

Some of the reasons for the convention include, to defend and strengthen democracy, defend the constitution and institutions of democracy, to ensure political tolerance, to ensure the rule of law and equality of all before the law.

"[The formation of a new party has nothing to do with] the reasons they've stated and nothing about the Freedom Charter, because if those were the issues, they failed on all of them 10 years ago," said Dlamini.

"He (Shilowa) proclaimed himself on public television as the self-appointed convenor of the convention. Where was democracy at that moment? Because I noticed the opposite," said Dlamini.

Shilowa recently tendered his resignation as Gauteng premier — reportedly out of loyalty to former President Thabo Mbeki.

However, Dlamini said Shilowa came up with these reasons for this convention after realising how "stupid" it was to resign on the basis of Mbeki's recall.

"He expects us to believe him and follow him? I see in him a very angry man who believed too much in the individual... his leader is no more in charge."

Accusing both Lekota and Shilowa of wanting to destroy the ANC from the outside after failing to do it internally, Dlamini questioned why they would not listen to Mbeki's call for calm and to respect the decision of the ANC's national executive committee.

Sapa