Some curators at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz Mocaa) in Cape Town have accused the former executive director and chief curator, Mark Coetzee, of inappropriate behaviour, say South African press reports.
Coetzee was suspended on 16 May from his role at the museum and subsequently resigned, according to the museum. "An inquiry into Coetzee’s professional conduct has been initiated,” the trustees said in a statement. Earlier reports state that Coetzee had “failed to respond to questions about the institutional practices” at the museum.
According to the South African publication City Press, assistant curators at the museum allege that Coetzee’s behaviour has been inappropriate and abusive. Evidence of this behaviour was submitted at a board meeting of the museum’s trustees.
A spokesman for Zeitz Mocaa declined to comment but the trustees told City Press: “We believe that it would be inappropriate for us to provide further details or comment on rumour and speculation.” Coetzee was not immediately available for comment.
The private museum was launched in September 2017 by the German collector and former Puma chief executive Jochen Zeitz in partnership with the V&A Waterfront.