The High Court in Blantyre has suspended implementation of the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) order awarding three former Press Corporation Limited (PCL) top executives about K14 billion as compensation pending an inter-partes hearing.
The interim stay order follows a notice of inter-partes application which PCL filed after the IRC on Thursday ordered the corporation to pay 70 percent of the K14.1 billion awarded to the three as compensation for unfair dismissal.
Reads the order in part: “Upon hearing counsel for the appellant [PCL]; and upon reading the sworn statements of Moureen Mbeye and Felix Tandwe in support of application; It is this day [May 15 2025] adjudged: that an interim order for stay be and is hereby made, staying execution of the order of assessment of the Industrial Relations Court dated 25th April 2025 pending the hearing and determination of a notice application for stay of execution.”
In an interview yesterday, lawyer for the former PCL executives John Suzi Banda said the appellant has served them with all the papers supporting the application for stay.
Said Suzi Banda: “We are supposed to respond to them by close of business on Tuesday May 20 2025.”
Meanwhile, the High Court has set Thursday, May 22 2025 for hearing of the inter-partes application for stay of execution.
On April 25, the IRC ordered that former PCL company secretary Benard Ndau be awarded about K2.7 billion while former group chief executive officer George Partridge should receive K3.2 billion and former group financial controller Elizabeth Mafeni should get K8.2 billion.
After PCL appealed for stay, IRC deputy chairperson Tamanda Nyimba on Thursday granted the prayer on condition that the corporation pays each of the three claimants 70 percent of their compensation.
Nyimba said PCL was at liberty to lodge the very same application for suspension of enforcement of judgement pending appeal in the High Court of Malawi.
The former PCL executives were 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.
PCL, one of the largest conglomerates in Malawi, has interests in banking, telecommunications, energy, real estate and hospitality.
