Mbalula said to be relegating boss to the background
Zuma's spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, said the presidency would not comment on the issue and if Zuma did intervene "it would not be done in public".
The Sunday Times reported that Mthethwa and Mbalula were at each other's throats - again - last week when the former blocked Mbalula from addressing the National Press Club, in Pretoria.
The Times understands that tension between the two ministers is a result of Mthethwa fearing that Mbalula is hijacking his ministerial powers by claiming high-profile public appearances and relegating his boss to the background.
National police commissioner Bheki Cele intensified the skirmish between the two senior politicians when he personally called the press club to cancel Mbalula's appearance, the Sunday Times reported.
He reportedly demanded to know why the invitation had not been made through his office, because, he said, he was "in charge" as the police chief, and he suggested that National Press Club chairman Yusuf Abramjee reschedule the event and route a new invitation through his office.
An official close to Mthethwa confirmed that the minister phoned Abramjee on Tuesday afternoon, demanding that the briefing be cancelled. Cele is said to have suggested that he and Mthethwa appear alongside Mbalula.
Abramjee canned the event on Tuesday, saying that it was Mbalula who had asked for the media briefing.
But yesterday he said he did not bow to pressure but had cancelled the briefing at the request of Mbalula.
According to the invitation, Mbalula was due to address the media on security for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, visible policing and ANC realignment since the party's watershed national conference in Polokwane.
Police ministry officials said the two ministers started not seeing eye-to-eye shortly after Mbalula was appointed deputy minister and Mthethwa vetoed Mbalula's appearance on the Asikhulume current affairs programme.
The Sunday Times reported that, in June, Mthethwa blocked Mbalula from officiating at a police passing-out parade in Philippi, Western Cape - telling the police commissioners who had invited Mbalula that he, Mthethwa, was "still alive and not dead."
DA police spokesman Dianne Kohler Barnard said she had heard that Mthethwa and Mbalula "literally hate each other".
She said it was probably because Mbalula is a high-profile figure and "Nathi came from nowhere".
"Civilians are dying everyday and they are having silly fights."
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