Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has announced his intervention in the ongoing dispute between the suspended Chief Executive Officer of Henties Bay, Elizabeth Coetzee, and the town’s municipality.

Coetzee was suspended in October 2023 following allegations detailed in a leaked document. The charges include theft, fraud, gross negligence, abuse of authority, and financial misappropriation involving subsistence and travel claims amounting to about N$11,000.

She is also accused of signing a contract with Red Force without meeting bidding requirements and allegedly leaking confidential information of a council member in 2021.

In March, concerned residents submitted a petition to Erongo Governor Neville Andre, demanding the reinstatement of Coetzee and suspended finance manager Lifas Amunyela, who was suspended in July 2023.

During a visit to Henties Bay on Friday, Minister Sankwasa said a meeting involving all affected parties will take place in Windhoek on Tuesday.

"In terms of the human resource management policy and regulations, you cannot put an employee on over 2 years' suspension; the suspension must either be a precautionary suspension before it becomes a punitive suspension," said Sankwasa.
"Right now the employee is on punitive suspension, which is against the labour law and principles. So the parties will also meet under my chairmanship and leadership that will resolve this matter amicably because the employee cannot be continually and perpetually on suspension without being brought to a disciplinary hearing."

Both Coetzee and Amunyela remain on suspension with benefits.