Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale have a great working relationship and continue to consult each other on matters of governance, their departments said on Saturday.
The joint statements by the two departments follow media reports of a power struggle between the two ministers.
"Ministers Lindiwe Sisulu and Tokyo Sexwale are surprised and taken aback at complete misinterpretations of the state of their working relationship, and have vowed not to let distortions drive them apart.
"The ministers have great respect for each other and continuously engage each other in a robust and direct way on issues of governance and other matters," their spokesmen said in a statement.
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The Cape Times reported a public spat between the two ministers, with Sisulu saying Sexwale had failed to come up with new programmes and for claiming credit for initiatives she introduced while she was still housing minister.
Sisulu said Sexwale "has not launched a single project" since he took over the portfolio.
Her attack comes after Sexwale revealed in an answer to a Parliamentary question that the department of housing had spent more than R22-million on a series of plays during Sisulu's tenure.
The industrial theatre production A re Ageng Mzanzi (Let's Build South Africa) reportedly netted R5,5-million for a production company owned by former soap opera actor Mpho Tsedu.
Sexwale's special advisor Chris Vick said earlier this week the minister had told his management and staff "not to allow expenditure of this sort".
"The production in question is no longer running, and the minister of human settlements has specifically stated to his management and staff: 'This sort of expenditure will not happen on my watch'," Vick said.
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