Johannesburg - The army was on standby on Tuesday to help combat violence in xenophobic hotspots in Gauteng, but can do nothing unless instructed by President Thabo Mbeki.

A meeting between representatives of the police and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ended without an agreement on Tuesday.

According to Beeld sources, an official request by the police to defence force chief General Godfrey Ngwenya was handed to the presidency on Monday afternoon.

Mbeki's spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, told Beeld's Abigail Isaacs shortly before the paper went to print that he had no knowledge of such a request.

Meanwhile, Mebki leaves on Wednesday morning for Tanzania for the first meeting of the African Union's committee of 12 heads of state, Sarel van der Walt reports. He will be accompanied by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad.