The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) says it is consulting the Labour Commissioner following last week’s Labour Court ruling that found the company has unfairly dismissed its former managing director, Immanuel Mulunga.
“We have no comment yet. We are waiting for our legal counsel to revert pending a meeting with the Labour Commissioner on the way forward,” Namcor spokesperson Paulo Coelho told The Namibian yesterday.
Mulunga was fired on 8 August 2024, but challenged the decision by filing a case of unfair dismissal with the Labour Court.
Namcor later retaliated with its own case on 8 November 2024, accusing Mulunga of discrimination and breach of contract.
Arbitrator Moses Mazambo ruled in Mulunga’s favour on Friday, dismissing Namcor’s counterclaim and ordering the company to pay N$4 000 in Labour Court costs.
In his ruling on 6 June, Mazambo said: “The applicant’s points are hereby upheld that the dispute referred to the Labour Commissioner dated 8 November 2024 by the respondent is hereby dismissed.”
He added: “The matter is removed from the roll and regarded as finalised. This order is final and binding on both parties and will be made an order of the Labour Court.”
Despite the ruling, it remains unclear whether Mulunga would be reinstated or compensated.
Speaking to The Namibian on Sunday, he said Namcor had not contacted him following the decision.
“They have not reached out to me yet. Maybe they will still do in due course. I really don’t know. I don’t think I am wanted, to be honest,” he said.
Mulunga led Namcor for eight years before being fired a day after a disciplinary hearing cleared him in the N$123-million Angolan oil block deal.
Namcor has maintained that his unauthorised acquisition of Enercon Namibia’s fuel storage and logistics assets for N$60 million constituted serious misconduct, which it cited as the reason for his termination.
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