Enercon owes N$6.7m in salaries, N$500m to NamRA

Several Enercon employees have allegedly not been paid since June last year, with unpaid salaries reportedly totalling around N$6.7 million.In June 2023, the fuel supply company also owed the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) more than N$500 million in taxes, according to a demand letter seen by Namibian Sun.In April alone, Enercon owed 11 suppliers more than N$951 599, a debt insiders say continues to grow.A Namibian Sun investigation has revealed that Enercon has been in operational freefall since its fuel supply contract with the ministry of defence was terminated. Unpaid wages now reportedly exceed N$6 million, while internal turmoil is allegedly concealed behind a wall of silence and selective payouts.“Our main customer, the one that used to give us money, was the ministry of defence. We had a supply agreement to provide fuel to them. But later, they cancelled the contract because of non-delivery of service. Enercon was defaulting, failing to deliver the fuel. The ministry got tired and said, ‘Okay guys, what’s going on? Let’s just cancel,’” a source said.Business partnership sours Two weeks ago, the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) confirmed that its fuel supply contract with Enercon Namibia is no longer active, citing the company’s financial collapse and provisional liquidation.The NDF added that it now sources fuel from August 26 Holdings. NDF spokesperson Petrus Shilumbu told Namibian Sun that the last fuel delivery from Enercon took place on 21 May 2024, months before operations ground to a halt.Since 2012, Enercon had secured over N$1 billion in contracts with the defence ministry, including deals to supply petroleum products and install fuel storage infrastructure at army bases.‘Just silence’This long-standing relationship collapsed in 2023 after Enercon allegedly failed to deliver fuel for six consecutive months, yet continued to receive millions through a controversial contractual clause.The loss of this contract, valued at between N$7 million and N$10 million per month, reportedly triggered a downward spiral of unpaid costs and mounting debt.“Even though we still had other clients like Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), the debts started piling up. The Wi-Fi got cut, water was cut. Telecom, MTC... everywhere we were defaulting. There was debt everywhere,” the whistleblower claimed. Another official claimed that “by June last year, we just didn’t get salaries. We asked the CEO at the time, Connie Van Wyk, what was going on. He said, ‘Don’t worry, the salaries will come.’ But nothing came."The source alleged: "We tried to contact Victor [Malima], who was the director at the time, but he did not want to hear anything from employees. Eventually, no one told us anything, no letters, no updates. Just silence."Malima is currently on the run after 11 people were arrested in connection with the ongoing Namcor-Enercon corruption scandal. Enercon was founded by brothers Peter and Malakia Elindi, who were also arrested and are currently fighting to be released on bail.Struggle to survive Amid the alleged communication vacuum, staff say they struggled to adapt.“There was no Wi-Fi. I took my computer and went home. I said, ‘Let me work from home.’ We have since been serving customers from home,” claimed a married male employee, who added that he has been struggling to support his family.“This has affected me in so many ways. Personally, I have bonds, debts and a lot of things we need to pay. It’s just too much. It is not even a joke.”Attempts to pursue formal labour complaints stalled, amid allegations that some employees were discreetly paid. “We heard whispers, people saying, ‘Be very careful because some employees were paid. That is why they are quiet.’ That is why you have to approach only certain people to avoid compromising yourself," the source claimed. Taxman demands payment Officials within NamRA confirmed that the agency is pursuing Enercon for possible tax evasion. “While the Anti-Corruption Commission is the lead investigator in the current Namcor-Enercon case, this was an inter-agency probe. It is difficult these days to conduct a proper corruption investigation without the involvement of NamRA,” one official said.Documents seen show that, as of June 2023, the company owed N$431 251 090 in tax, penalties and interest, and a further N$106 614 082 in value-added tax.“Kindly settle the outstanding amount in full, or alternatively, make an acceptable payment arrangement with this office within 14 days from the date of this notice,” NamRA demanded in a letter dated 5 June 2023.NamRA commissioner Sam Shivute confirmed that the agency is involved in investigations relating to the Namcor-Enercon saga. However, he declined to comment on the tax status of any individual or entity, unless such matters are before a court.Meanwhile, the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) is seeking to have three Windhoek properties declared executable in a high-stakes legal bid to recover nearly N$29 million from Enercon and a group of its directors and associates.The lawsuit, filed in the High Court in July, centres on multiple breaches of loan agreements dating back to 2011. - nikanor@nmh-hub.com.na

Enercon owes N$6.7m in salaries, N$500m to NamRA

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-01

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Enercon owes N$6.7m in salaries, N$500m to NamRA

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-01

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