INTERVIEW: Renier Bougart on the Struggles of Ex-Air Namibia Employees

Nearly four years have passed since Air Namibia ceased operations, and former employees are still grappling with unresolved issues surrounding their severance and retrenchment packages. Renier Bougart, one of the retrenched workers, voiced the mounting frustration felt by many of his colleagues as they continue their legal battle to secure the compensation they are owed.

In an interview with Future Media, Bougart explained how the situation has dragged on, with no resolution in sight. “When we were terminated, we were owed a severance package, a termination exit package, which was negotiated by the union and agreed upon by the liquidators. However, after we left in March, we found out that six months later, with the assistance of the Master of the High Court, these amounts were changed unilaterally without our knowledge,” he said.

This abrupt change led to the formation of a legal challenge. Bougart and fellow employees took the matter to the labor court, only to face further obstacles. “We realized the labor institutions, like the Ministry of Labor, were ineffective,” he said. “We had to look for other avenues, but there’s no straightforward process in Namibia for a cross-action suit, which makes it even more difficult to represent the 600 affected workers.”

Despite these setbacks, Bougart and his colleagues won their case in the High Court. However, this victory has not resulted in any immediate payment. The liquidators have appealed the ruling, meaning the case is now heading to the Supreme Court. Bougart explained that even if the workers win, they will face a wait of two years before a court date is even set. “We now have to wait for four to six years to get the liquidation finalized,” Bougart said.

This extended delay has left many former employees without their livelihoods, and the frustration has reached a breaking point. As a result, Bougart and others organized protests to draw attention to the issue. “We are doing this to put pressure on the government, because they are the only ones who can push for this case to be expedited,” Bougart said. He expressed disappointment that the government had not acted sooner, noting that the workers had not received any meaningful assistance from lawmakers despite petitions that have been filed to Parliament.

Bougart’s remarks also reflect the broader disillusionment with the political climate in Namibia. “It’s all about the politicians filling their own pockets. They only care about votes, not the suffering of the people,” he said. “If the government truly cared, they would have stepped in to help us much earlier. But we’ve seen nothing.”

In the interview, Bougart also questioned the government’s claims about savings following Air Namibia’s closure, especially the $500 million said to have been saved. “If this money was saved, why aren’t we seeing new schools or hospitals being built? Where is this money being used?” he asked, pointing out the lack of tangible improvements in public services.

Ultimately, Bougart’s call is simple: the workers just want the compensation they were promised. “We don’t want more money. We just want the money that was owed to us. The amount we were promised when we signed off on our termination papers,” he said.

Bougart’s words serve as a reminder of the harsh realities faced by many former Air Namibia employees as they continue their fight for what they are legally entitled to. As the legal battle drags on, it is clear that for many, the only power they feel they have left is their vote. “We will show our power at the election box,” Bougart concluded.

The situation remains unresolved, and former employees continue to wait for justice, despite the government’s silence on the matter. For now, the fight for fair compensation continues, with little indication of when it will come to an end.