The African National Congress (ANC) said on Thursday it has denied the Democratic Alliance (DA) the chairmanship of any of the Parliamentary committees as punishment for party leader Helen Zille insulting President Jacob Zuma.

"It is a question of relations being serviced. There must be mutual respect between the parties," said ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, as he announced the party nominations for the positions.

"They have taken a position that is hostile. You first manage the hostility then you build a relationship."

Referring to Zille accusing Zuma of putting his wives at risk of contracting Aids, he accused her of showing "a total disrespect to the office of the president of the republic".

"We must have very thin skins to that. It cannot be allowed to continue," he added.

Mantashe said the Congress of the People was not given an opportunity to name one of the party chairs either "because it is a new animal".

"We must develop a relationship with that animal. We don't know it yet. It is not about dishing out chairs, it is about work."

The ANC has decided to retain Themba Godi from the African People's Convention as chair of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) because "he did well", Mantashe said.

It has nominated veteran MP Joan Fubbs as chairperson of the Trade and Industry committee, former Limpopo finance MEC Thaba Mufamadi as chairman of the finance committee and Musi Coleman as chairperson of the new economic development committee.