There is no need to deploy the army in Gauteng province during the 2009 general elections as the province was one of the safest, Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Tuesday.

He said this during a visit to Alexandra township, an area marred by housing delivery problems and one of the 2008 xenophobic violence hotspots.

"We are satisfied that Gauteng is ready for elections. So far it has only been the province of KwaZulu-Natal where we need reinforcements because of political intolerance issues," Mthethwa said.

Earlier he had met police and community organisations.

Accompanied by Gauteng safety and security MEC Firoz Cachalia, Mthethwa walked through the streets of Alexandra in a bid to establish the state of readiness of community members for the April 22 election.

Most residents did not seem to know who he was but they seemed happy to see government officials engaging them on election matters.