Cape Town — Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu appears still to be smarting from the accusation by her Cabinet colleague, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, that 40000 houses built shoddily during her tenure as housing minister have to be rebuilt at a cost of about R1bn.

Sisulu issued another statement yesterday "to set the record straight" and rectify the "false reports" which were "designed to tarnish (her) reputation and image" despite the weekend call by the African National Congress that the two ministers set aside their differences .

The ministerial cat fight was prompted by remarks by Sexwale regarding an industrial theatre project said to have cost R22m, to promote awareness of housing issues. Sexwale said he had stopped the project as soon as he learnt about it, along with other unnecessary expenditure items. He also remarked on the need to rebuild collapsing houses.

"None of the RDP houses due for demolition by the Department of Human Settlements, were built during Ms Lindiwe Sisulu's tenure. These shoddily built houses are the very reason a more comprehensive approach to housing was developed, and a policy called human settlements adopted and implemented from 2004," yesterday's statement said.

Sisulu said she had introduced the rectification programme, which had "nothing new in it".

She was also at pains to rectify the other "false perception doing the rounds" that exaggerated the cost of the theatre production. The false report " diminishes the role of a holistic communication and education programme ... combining 'edutainment' with housing information and registration desks, exhibitions and question- and-answer sessions".

Sisulu said the project - "an extremely useful tool of communication" - cost only about R5m and was not commissioned by her . Ministerial approval was not required for line items in communications budgets, the responsibility of accounting officers.