The Industrial Relations Court (IRC) in Blantyre has suspended implementation of its own order awarding three former Press Corporation Limited (PCL) top executives about K14 billion as compensation pending an inter-partes hearing.
The three are former group chief executive officer George Partridge, former group financial controller Elizabeth Mafeni and former company secretary Benard Ndau.
The stay order follows a notice of interpartes application by PCL following the same court’s earlier decision two weeks ago awarding the three compensation for unfair dismissal and unlawful labour practices.
In an interim order of stay signed by IRC deputy chairperson Tamanda Nyimba, the court ordered PCL to file its application no later than mid-day of May 5 2025 and that the three former top executives respond by today before the corporation’s reply by tomorrow.
Reads the order in part: “Upon hearing counsel for the respondent; and upon reading the affidavit of Moureen Mbeye in support of application; It is this day [May 2 2025] adjudged: that an order be and is hereby made, staying execution of the judgment of this court contained in the order of assessment dated 25th April 2025 pending an inter parte motion for stay of execution pending appeal.
“That the interpartes application lodged with the Court on 2nd May, 2025 shall accordingly be heard before this Court on the 9th day of May, 2025 at 10 O’clock in the forenoon.”
The trio was dismissed in 2021 following a functional review initiated by PCL board of directors and conducted by a consultant.
At the time of their dismissal, Mafeni received K481 million, Partridge got K452 million and Ndau was paid K179 million.
Initially, the trio filed a K33 billion claim, arguing that they were unfairly dismissed by the conglomerate but while the court ruled in their favour, the figure was trimmed to the K14 billion, which will be split into different amounts and shared among them.
