Otniel Hembapu
Former Namibia Football Association (NFA) driver and general worker Werner ‘Kapepe’ Shikwambi has dragged the local football federation to the Office of the Labour Commissioner, where is he seeking to have his dismissal overturned.
Shikwambi, who has been in the permanent employment of the NFA since June 2019, was dismissed as the association’s driver in November last year for alleged gross insubordination. New Era Sport has seen Shikwambi’s dismissal letter dated 18 November 2020, signed by the association’s secretary general Franco Cosmos.
“This letter serves to notify you that your services as a driver for the Namibia Football Association (NFA) are terminated with immediate effect from today, 18 November 2020. Your services are terminated because of gross insubordination on 17 November 2020. You are requested to hand over all properties of the NFA to Mrs Meriam Tjivikua. The NFA would like to thank you for your services, and wish you all the best of luck in your future,” reads Shikwambi’s dismissal letter.
Prior to his permanent employment in 2019, Shikwambi had been working for the NFA since 2006 on a temporary basis. Shikwambi has since approached the Office of the Labour Commissioner, and through his legal representatives is fighting to have his dismissal overturned.
In his submissions to the Office of the Labour Commissioner, he claims his dismissal was unfair as he was never accorded an opportunity to state his case, nor was a hearing organised in order to look into his alleged gross insubordination as quantified by Cosmos.
Shikwambi has managed to legitimise his case, and the date for an arbitration hearing has now been set for 19 May 2021 at 09h00 before Liwela Sasele at the offices of the labour commissioner in Windhoek.
– ohembapu@nepc.com.na