After Cabinet, Parliament and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe have given their support to Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu's refusal to release an interim report on the state of the military.

Sisulu has for months been locked in a standoff with Members of Parliament (MPs) after she declined to release working reports by the Interim National Defence Force Service Commission to Parliament's portfolio committee on defence.

Cabinet last week endorsed her position that she would only release the final report, expected in September, once the executive had received the document.

On Thursday, speaker Max Sisulu, the Minister's brother, issued a statement supporting this view.

"Having met with the leader of government business, Deputy President Motlanthe, and the Minister for Defence Lindiwe Sisulu, Speaker Sisulu is assured that the portfolio committee will receive the report after it has been processed by Cabinet.

"They both expressed their commitment and respect for the authority of Parliament to oversee the executive and their willingness to cooperate with Parliament in providing any required or requested information.

"We have been given the assurance that Cabinet will process the report speedily."

One of the interim commission's reports was leaked to the media and allegedly warned that morale in the military was so low as to pose a threat to national security.