Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Tuesday rejected reports that an ultimatum was given to director-general Jimmy Manyi to choose between his government job and his Black Management Forum (BMF) presidency position.

"I stated it categorically at the BMF conference on 29 October 2009 in Johannesburg that with regards to claims of conflict of interest, Manyi himself would have to navigate as to how best he manage both his jobs," Mdladlana said in a statement.

Claims that Manyi would meet the minister this week and announce a decision were untrue, he said.

"What decision?" asked Mdladlana.

"I meet with Manyi as and when required, and we are meeting today, for example to discuss departmental issues and therefore the statement has no substance, it is simply [a] lie."

He said that some journalists were sowing seeds of division between him and his director-general.

Manyi stood for the BMF's presidency and was re-elected in October 2009, two months after he was appointed director-general of the labour ministry.