The secretary of the National Assembly, Zingile Dingani, has been suspended, the Speaker's office confirmed on Tuesday.

"It is true that he was suspended. The decision was taken by the Speaker and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)," Lebogang Nawa told Sapa.

He referred further queries on the matter to Parliament spokesman Luzuko Jacobs, who was not immediately available.

Press reports said Dingani was put on special leave after Speaker Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde received a report from independent auditors recommending that he be sanctioned for failing to act against the secretary of the NCOP, Lulama Matyolo-Dube.

Matyolo-Dube was suspended from her position in October pending a probe into allegations that she had appointed friends and relatives to senior positions in the legislature.

The Times reported that parliamentary staff complained to
Mahlangu-Nkabinde that Dingani was protecting the NCOP secretary from nepotism charges.

It said the Speaker would consult African National Congress headquarters, Luthuli House, about "removing Dingani".

Nawa insisted however that Dingani's suspension was an independent decision.

"I don't have the impression that there has been micro-management from Luthuli House. Of course these people are members of a party, and have been for a long time, and at some point they have to interact with the party structures," Nawa said.