Labour Court

Labour Court — Namibian tribunal that adjudicates employment disputes, ordering reinstatement, backpay, and compensation in cases of unfair dismissal and contractual breaches.

2025-01-132026-10-12

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

April 2026
10 AprThe Namibian
Labour Court ordered Katima Mulilo Town Council to reinstate chief executive Raphael Liswaniso with immediate effect
Source
“The Labour Court yesterday ordered the Katima Mulilo Town Council to reinstate suspended chief executive Raphael Liswaniso with immediate effect.”
Labour Court orders Katima Mulilo council to reinstate chief executive Liswaniso
March 2026
5 MarThe Namibian
Labour Court ruled in favour of employees, ordering municipality to implement directive and pay outstanding amounts
Source
“The dispute was referred to the Labour Court in 2021, and the court last year ruled in favour of the employees, ordering the municipality to implement the directive and pay the outstanding amounts.”
Otjiwarongo municipality yet to pay N$30 million despite Labour Court order
February 2026
24 FebThe Namibian
Labour Court ordered Sibiya's reinstatement after he was fired by police in 2015
Source
“After he was fired by the police in 2015 (the Labour Court later ordered his reinstatement), Sibiya took his package and bought a "plot", which he stocked with game.”
‘Make a turn, Cat’ — WhatsApp messages tie top police officer to tender kingpin

Society

Labour Court dismisses youth council director's back pay claim

The News

The Labour Court has dismissed former National Youth Council director Calista Schwartz-Gowases' claim for back pay covering nine months between her consecutive employment contracts, ruling that although the NYC failed to establish required performance-management processes, this did not entitle her to compensation for a period when she was no longer employed and had rendered no services.

9 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 9 September

Labour Court dismisses youth council director's back pay claim
The Labour Court has dismissed former National Youth Council director Calista Schwartz-Gowases' claim for back pay covering nine months between her consecutive employment contracts, ruling that although the NYC failed to establish required performance-management processes, this did not entitle her to compensation for a period when she was no longer employed and had rendered no services.
9 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 1 September

Beifang Mining challenges union recognition agreement in Labour Court
Beifang Mining Technology Services has appealed an arbitration award that reinstated a recognition agreement with the Revolutionary Union, arguing the union did not represent the majority of employees when the agreement was signed in March 2024. The company contends the agreement is null and void from the outset and faults the arbitrator for failing to distinguish between voidable and void agreements.
1 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 26 July

City of Windhoek denies nepotism allegations against parks manager
The City of Windhoek has rejected social media allegations that its parks manager Ukazuvaka Kazombiaze was unqualified and appointed through nepotism, calling the claims false and malicious. The municipality stated that recruitment and management processes are conducted transparently and in line with labour laws and municipal policies.
26 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 22 July

NSFAF's N$4.3 million recovery lawsuit advances to case management
The High Court has ordered NSFAF and former chief executive Hilya Nghiwete to file a joint case management report by 4 August 2026 ahead of a case management conference on 11 August 2026. NSFAF is seeking to recover N$4,301,277.36 paid to Nghiwete under an arbitration award that lost its legal basis following a Supreme Court ruling upholding her dismissal.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 15 July

Tsumeb municipality appeals labour ruling for former firefighter
Tsumeb Municipality is challenging a Labour Commissioner's ruling that ordered it to reinstate a former firefighter assistant and pay him N$108 000 in outstanding wages. The arbitrator found the dismissal procedurally unfair and ordered reinstatement from 1 May 2026 and payment by 28 May, but the municipality has not complied and plans to appeal to the High Court.
15 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 13 July

Labour Court remits Mulunga-Namcor dispute to arbitrator
The Labour Court has referred a dispute between state-owned Namcor Petroleum Trading and Distribution and its former managing director Imms Mulunga back to arbitration, after ruling that an arbitrator wrongly dismissed the case in June. Mulunga was dismissed in August 2024 after being found not guilty in a disciplinary hearing, and Namcor subsequently referred claims against him for breach of contract and financial losses to the Labour Commissioner in October 2024.
13 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Labour Court revives Namcor's N$304m claim against Mulunga
The Labour Court has overturned an arbitrator's decision, allowing national oil company Namcor to pursue a N$304 million claim against Mulunga.
13 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →

Monday 15 June

Namibia taxi body seeks comeback via digital platform
The Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta), deregistered in 2024 for failing to submit its annual return, has now submitted the return which is under review, and plans to relaunch with a digital platform to formalise and improve transport safety and accountability.
15 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 1 June

Labour Court orders NHE to reinstate fired executive with backpay
The Labour Court found that the National Housing Enterprise's 2021 dismissal of former executive Willem Titus was unfair and ordered the company to reinstate him within 30 days and pay backpay from December 2021 to reinstatement, less any income earned in alternative employment. The court upheld findings that Titus committed misconduct but determined dismissal was disproportionately harsh a penalty.
1 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 28 May

Civil servants fear labour arbitrators favour government in disputes
Retired civil servant Manfred Menjengua says arbitrators employed by the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations cannot view public service labour disputes objectively and automatically favour the government. He also raises concerns about workplace mistreatment of union activists, gender-based harassment limiting women's promotion, and poor recruitment practices based on political affiliation rather than merit.
28 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 25 May

NSFAF sues former chief for N$4.3m repayment
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund has sued former chief executive Hilya Nghiwete for N$4.3 million following a Supreme Court judgment that overturned earlier rulings in her favour. The fund argues Nghiwete was unfairly enriched after receiving salaries, benefits, and backpay linked to an arbitration award that was later set aside.
25 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 15 May

Labour Court rules Trans Desert Logistics unfairly dismissed driver
The Labour Court found that Trans Desert Logistics unfairly dismissed truck driver Donovan Le Roux and ordered the company to pay him more than N$58 000 in compensation and severance pay. The tribunal ruled the dismissal was not substantively fair, despite Le Roux being found guilty of disregarding company rules, disobeying instructions, and damaging company property.
15 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 19 April

Labour Court dismisses Best Cheer workers' review on procedural grounds
The Labour Court has struck from the roll an application by 53 former employees of Best Cheer Investments Namibia to review an unfair dismissal ruling, after finding they failed to serve the application within the required 30-day time period. Although the workers filed the application on time, they only served it on the relevant parties in April 2024, exceeding the deadline set by the Labour Act and court rules.
19 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 10 April

Labour Court orders Katima Mulilo Council reinstate suspended chief executive
The Labour Court has ordered the Katima Mulilo Town Council to immediately reinstate chief executive Raphael Liswaniso, who had been suspended without pay since October following an investigation. The arbitrator found that Liswaniso's suspension was unjust and that the council had violated his rights by denying him salary and failing to properly inform him of charges, and ordered the council to pay all his remaining salary.
10 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 March

Otjiwarongo Municipality defies court order on N$30 million salary debt
The Otjiwarongo Municipality has failed to implement a 2014 salary directive or comply with a Labour Court order to pay over N$30 million in back pay owed to 20 employees, despite the ruling last year. The dispute arose after management ignored a ministry instruction to adjust C4-band employees' salaries by N$7,475 and instead gave them only N$2,000 in adjustments while promoting D-band staff, prompting workers to take the case to court in 2021.
5 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 February

WhatsApp messages implicate South African police general in corruption
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry heard evidence that Deputy National Police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya invited a tender kingpin to his son's engagement party and may have received favours including livestock restocking, contradicting his earlier denials of a close relationship. WhatsApp messages and testimony revealed multiple high-ranking police officers' connections to the accused tenderpreneur, who held over R300-million in police tenders.
24 February 2026 · The Namibian →