President Jacob Zuma could not decide Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka's future before the public protector pronounced on his alleged abuse of state funds, the presidency said on Wednesday.

"We need that to be completed, otherwise the situation is untenable," presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said.

Maharaj said Zuma wrote to Shiceka some time ago about reports of "a misuse of funds".

"While he was investigating, we heard that the public protector is looking into the matter."

He said the presidency did not want a situation where "the president makes a finding and the public protector comes out and says something else.

"The public protector is a Chapter Nine [institution] with the authority to conduct certain investigations," he added.

Maharaj said there had been no indication from Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on when her office would finalise its Shiceka investigation.

"We have had no word on when her report will be ready. So until then our president's hands are a little bit tied."

Zuma told the National Assembly on Tuesday he had asked questions and received answers from the minister. He was responding to a question from Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota on whether Shiceka had been asked to refund money he allegedly spent irregularly on a trip to Switzerland.

Zuma told MPs Shiceka had permission from then president Kgalema Motlanthe to visit Switzerland on Fifa World Cup business.

"I requested a report from the minister subsequent to media reports alleging that business other than what former president Motlanthe had been informed about transpired. The minister complied."

ANC MP Ben Turok in April asked Madonsela's office to probe reports that Shiceka spent R355 000 to visit a girlfriend in a Swiss jail, R640 000 to stay in a luxury hotel in Cape Town, and more than R160 000 on plane tickets for his family.

Shiceka had been on sick leave since February. He signalled at least twice that he was keen to return to work. On Wednesday, he told Radio 702 in an interview he was feeling recovered and had been playing tennis.

His spokesperson Bothselo Rakate told Sapa: "Compared to when he took leave, he is feeling much better and able to come back to work."

The minister's interview and questions on his future came as Zuma faced pressure to act on Madonsela's findings on the police headquarters lease scandal.

On Wednesday, Democratic Alliance MP James Lorimer accused Zuma of "hiding behind the slow processes of the public protector".

"The fact that the public protector is investigating allegations of misconduct against the minister does not mean he is freed from explaining his conduct.

"Shiceka owes South Africans an explanation and President Zuma owes us some action."