A legal battle is looming between two Congress of the People (Cope) members and the Department of Public Works, Minister Geoff Doidge said on Tuesday.

He said the two, Dennis Bloem and Bishop Tolo, were refusing to move out of houses allocated to African National Congress (ANC) Members of Parliament (MPs) at the Parliamentary village.

"Legal notices were served on July 6 and on July 9 they opposed it. We are now heading to court."

He said Bloem and Tolo were accommodated at the houses allocated to the ANC before they changed parties leading up to the April election.

He said the two refused to relocate to houses allocated to Cope.

The two were part of a group of six MPs who had asked for an extension on moving out of their current houses.

Doidge said the refusal by the two had resulted in two ANC MPs not being able to move into their houses.

The two ANC MPs are Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Tshabalala-Msimang is still accommodated at the ministerial house while Madikizela-Mandela is accommodated in an hotel.

Doidge denied that Madikizela-Mandela was not happy about the house allocated to her.

"There is no indication from Ms Madikizela-Mandela that she is not happy...once a house is available she will move in," he said.

Doidge also denied that the Presidential house, King's House in KwaZulu-Natal, was being renovated at a "multi million rand" cost.

"The entire renovation will cost R46-million, it is not true that the fence alone cost R50-million."

He explained that the renovations taking place in at King's
House were part of similar maintenance projects taking place at various State buildings across the country.

"Public works is mandated to manage the State immovable assets including presidential estates.... for that purpose it has been allocated R5,2-billion for the 2009/10 year to roll out a comprehensive building programme which comprises new project acquisitions, major refurbishment and maintenance."