RP Chief Executive Officer Jackie Visagie confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that Engelbrecht's position was "on hold" until a planned executive committee meeting this weekend, when he said the party would be "reshuffling positions".

However, he maintained that Engelbrecht did not stand to lose hers and that it was merely a case of ironing out matters of alleged "party discipline" before she resumed the position.

"It is just a case of talking about what she wants to do," Visagie said.

"We are busy planning for the party and until then her position has just been put on hold."

Approached for comment by The Namibian, Engelbrecht was reluctant to discuss the matter, but appeared confident that the party "is going to settle this".

She did, however, confirm that for the time being she no longer carried the title of Secretary General and that she had been ordered by the party leadership not to conduct any business on behalf of the RP until a meeting was held to discuss matters.

It is not the first time the party has attempted to rein in Engelbrecht - shortly before last year's elections, the party also "suspended" her position and prohibited her from speaking to the media.

At the time, party president Henk Mudge said it was only because of a misunderstanding.

Visagie said yesterday that Engelbrecht's suspension was the result of a decision taken last year already at a management committee meeting, at which she was not present.

He said the decision was not implemented at the time because the party had asked the hardworking Engelbrecht "to do a few things" related to the elections.

The vibrant and outspoken Engelbrecht moved to the forefront of the party's election campaign when it competed for the first time in the country's elections last November.

More recently, she has been the party's driving force behind a collaborative court challenge with the Congress of Democrats to probe alleged irregularities in the voting process, but she has now been prohibited from speaking about this matter on behalf of the party.

"She will be reinstated in her position. I'm sure about it. It's just an issue of party discipline," Visagie said.

"It's nothing serious between us. Usually if there are disciplinary problems a party puts a position on hold."

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