The Western Cape's community safety MEC Lennit Max has gone on leave amid a report on infidelity and a counter charge of extortion, a spokeswoman in his office said.

"He approached the premier, Ms [Helen] Zille to request that he take leave to sort out all these stories," said head of office Nicolette Van Zyl-Gous.

This follows a report in Die Burger that a former police clerk told the tabloid newspaper Die Kaapse Son that she had an affair with Max, who is married.

Van Zyl-Gous said a woman approached Max, an advocate, for pro bono defence during a harassment case she brought against four policemen in 2007.

She said she would pay Max "in time", but he subsequently withdrew from the case, which she eventually lost. She also lost her job.

She later allegedly told him that if he did not give her a job, she would make public allegations against him.

His leave was until he could clear up the allegations.

"It's not sure when he will be back," Van Zyl-Gous said, adding that he would receive full pay.

"He is handling the criminal case and his lawyer will investigate that, and make the case, and we are still deciding whether to conduct an internal investigation."

In a statement on Thursday, Max said he would lay extortion charges against a woman.

This, following an allegedly threatening phone call to him "stating that she will sell her story, containing defamatory allegations against Minister Max, to newspapers if he does not employ her in the position of sacked spokesperson, Julian Jansen.

"Minister Max is deeply hurt by these threats and stated that it will not be taken lightly."

Superintendent Randall Stoffels, a Cape Town police spokesman, said that an extortion claim had been opened by Max but further details were not immediately available.

According to the department's website, Max was elected to the Western Cape provincial parliament in 2004, and served as the Democratic Alliance spokesman on community safety.

Prior to his election as a public representative, he served as provincial police commissioner of the Western Cape.

The national police ministry said it would not comment as it was a provincial matter.

Zille would oversee his duties until the matter was finalised.

President Jacob Zuma has just weathered a fortnight of criticism over news that he had a daughter with Fifa World Cup local organising committee chairman Irvin Khoza, even though he is married to three women and engaged to another.