Malawi: Chaos At Salima Sugar – CEO Wester Kossam Bars Security Chief Kapida Amid Legal Storm
A fresh storm is brewing at Salima Sugar Company after Chief Executive Officer Wester Kossam personally ordered security personnel to block former Chief Security Officer, Osman Kapida, from accessing company premises–despite a court ruling ordering his reinstatement.
The incident, which unfolded in full view of stunned employees and curious onlookers, has ignited a firestorm of controversy and confusion at one of Malawi’s most high-profile parastatal ventures. Kapida, who arrived at the factory gates with a court judgment in hand, was turned away under direct orders from the top brass.
This brazen defiance of a court order has left many questioning whether the rule of law has any weight inside Salima Sugar, or whether Kossam’s word now overrides Malawi’s judiciary.
Court Victory Turned Nightmare
Osman Kapida, dismissed last year on allegations of negligence, incompetence, and serious misconduct, took his former employer to court, challenging the legality of his termination. His central argument? That the dismissal was null and void because the company had no legally constituted board at the time–a claim the court upheld, ordering that he be reinstated.
But rather than honour the ruling, Salima Sugar raced to the courts and secured an injunction that not only paused the execution of the judgment but also slapped Kapida with a gag order: barred from setting foot on company property or speaking publicly about the case.
Power Play or Pure Panic?
Analysts and legal experts are now questioning whether Salima Sugar’s latest manoeuvre is a desperate attempt to stall accountability–or a calculated power play by its CEO, Wester Kossam, who appears determined to keep Kapida out at all costs.
“This reeks of executive impunity,” said one legal expert who declined to be named. “You can’t pick and choose which parts of a court order to respect. If the courts reinstated him, then reinstate him. If you have an issue, file for a stay–which they did–but until then, acting like you’re above the judiciary is dangerous and unacceptable.”
The case is raising eyebrows over corporate governance at Salima Sugar, a company that has already come under fire for murky management practices, political interference, and allegations of internal rot.
A Company in Crisis
Sources within Salima Sugar describe a tense, divided workplace in the aftermath of the legal tussle. Staff morale is reportedly at an all-time low, with whispers of internal purges and retaliation campaigns against those perceived to be sympathetic to Kapida’s cause.
“This company is no longer about sugar. It’s about survival,” said an insider. “Everyone is walking on eggshells.”
Attempts to reach Salima Sugar’s management for a statement proved futile. CEO Wester Kossam has remained tight-lipped, refusing to address the standoff or clarify whether the company intends to respect the outcome of the pending appeal.
Kapida, meanwhile, has also been silenced by the court’s gag order–a move critics call a textbook tactic to muzzle whistleblowers and victims of corporate abuse.
Time for Oversight?
As the legal saga continues, pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Trade and the Office of the President and Cabinet to intervene and restore order at Salima Sugar. Civil society groups are calling for a full audit into the company’s governance and employment practices.
“We are witnessing a collapse of ethics and rule of law within a company that is supposed to be a model of local-industrial success,” said a representative of the Centre for Accountability and Transparency. “The government cannot afford to sit idle while one man turns a national investment into a private playground.”
The Bigger Question
At the heart of this chaos lies a bigger question: Who really runs Salima Sugar–its board, the courts, or its CEO?
Until that question is answered, the company risks descending further into dysfunction–and Malawians will continue paying the price for mismanagement masquerading as leadership.
By Nyasa Times.
