Staff at the South African embassy in Harare said Singapi was back home in South Africa after being suspended following the alleged assault there on Lyn de Jong, the head of corporate services, on May 7.

De Jong is also back in Pretoria on leave. De Jong laid charges against Singapi at the Avondale Police Station and Interpol in Harare on May 8. Avondale police confirmed the charges but did not want to comment on the matter.

De Jong also opened a case against Singapi at Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria on Monday.

Singapi was due to take over as ambassador in Harare from Mlungisi Makalima.

Singapi and De Jong are awaiting a hearing into the matter which could expose more strained relations among staff and harsh working conditions.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation said it was "following internal human resources processes to deal with the matter".

There have been complaints of abuses at the embassy, including senior officials sleeping with their subordinates. A former ambassador allegedly impregnated a receptionist whom he is still looking after.

The ambassador was also accused of abusing embassy funds to go gallivanting and flying girlfriends around.

Insiders at the embassy said the latest incident was triggered by an argument over an officer cleaner. The two had been quarrelling for a long time. They clashed in June last year and several times before.

"The incident happened on May 7. It was caused by an argument which erupted over an office cleaner. De Jong accused Singapi of harassing office cleaners and went on to report him to the ambassador (Makalima)," a senior official at the embassy said.

"Makalima called in Singapi and told him to go and sort out his personal differences with De Jong. Singapi went to De Jong's office to sort out the matter and the two argued."

According to South Africa 's Public Service Association (PSA), De Jong was assaulted in the process. PSA deputy general manager Manie de Clercq has said De Jong was rescued by colleagues "responding to her screams".

She said De Jong suffered injuries, including a swollen face and eyes, ears and bruises on her back and chest. It demanded the "strongest possible action" against Singapi.

However, embassy officials said Singapi is denying the allegations of assault. "He says it was not assault. His side of the story is that they only had a heated argument and it's an absolute fabrication to say she was assaulted," an official said.

Another official said Singapi had "no intention to cause verbal abuse or physical harm" to De Jong as "he went to her office to clarify what he said was a lie about him. In the end, they had a heated argument, which degenerated into some disturbance," the official said.

The officials claimed De Jong was "rough and abusive" and had previously created similar incidents, particularly one which led to the recall of Sifiso Khoza, a South African Police Service attaché in Harare, in 2008.

"Khoza was falsely accused by De Jong of drug trafficking, smuggling cigarettes and illicit minerals deals until he was removed," an embassy official said. "But an investigation into the matter found absolutely nothing."

Khoza, who is now in and out of hospitals due to a long illness, on Friday told a former embassy colleague from Pretoria that De Jong "has destroyed my life".

De Jong's friends at the embassy, however, said she had been complaining that Singapi was an "arrogant bully".

"She told me he was a bully and liked harassing women," one embassy staff member said.

Workers of the Workers Committee of Local Recruited Persons said De Jong was "usually abusive and contemptuous".

"She has some racist tendencies and yells at us using words like 'f**k', 'kak' and 'moemish'," one worker said. "We have reported her to bosses in Pretoria through petitions like the one which we sent way back in October 2007 but nothing was done."

The petition dated October 22 2007,which was sent to the department, accused De Jong, whom it is claimed is well connected to top departmental officials, of "racist behaviour" and "obscene utterances".

Department spokesman Saul Molobi said an internal investigation into the incident is currently under way.

''This investigation involves discussions with both parties," he said. A date has yet to be set for the internal hearing into the matter.

By The Times (SA)