Former employees of Air Namibia have approached the Supreme Court to expedite their hearing concerning unpaid severance payments that have been outstanding for nearly five years after the airline's liquidation. The spokesperson for the employees, Renier Bougard, who worked with the airline for over two decades, stated that they had previously won a High Court ruling mandating the recalculation and payment of severance packages. However, many of the ex-employees are still waiting for the remainder of their payments, despite some having received partial payments.

The urgency of their petition arises from the liquidators' recent appeal against the High Court ruling, which was initially in favor of the former employees requesting severance pay. Bougard confirmed that the liquidators have the right to appeal this order, leading to renewed anxiety among the former staff who claim their livelihoods are affected by the delay in payments. One of the former workers mentioned having finally received full payment, raising concerns about the consistency in handling severance across different cases.

The ongoing dispute highlights the larger issues of employee rights and the challenges faced by workers affected by corporate liquidations. With many ex-employees still awaiting their payments, the outcome of this legal battle could set a precedent for how similar cases are managed in Namibia and potentially impact the treatment of employees in future corporate insolvencies.