By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
A Reading Employment Tribunal has found that Olinda Chapel-Nkomo, a UK-based socialite and entrepreneur, unfairly dismissed a female manager after she raised concerns about inappropriate texts sent by Olinda’s husband, musician Tytan Nkomo.
The case centered on Amber Stoter, a 30-year-old manager at Gain Healthcare, who started working for the Oxfordshire care provider on June 5, 2023.
Just 48 hours after she reported Tytan’s sexually suggestive messages, she was called into a meeting with Olinda Chapel-Nkomo and dismissed.
The tribunal concluded that Stoter’s firing was primarily due to her protected disclosure reporting the inappropriate texts rather than the reasons cited by Gain Healthcare, which included allegations of visiting a tanning salon during work hours and sending excessive WhatsApp messages.
According to the tribunal, Tytan Nkomo, who was married to Olinda at the time, made crude remarks to Stoter, including telling her she was “part of my property” and referring to her as “my girlfriend.” He also allegedly called her “hard,” in response to a social media post she made. The manager reported these incidents to her line manager, Jessica Cannon, who instructed Tytan to stop working from the office but did not escalate the matter further. However, Cannon informed Olinda the next day.
Just two days after the complaint, Stoter was summoned for a meeting with Olinda and dismissed abruptly. She described feeling “ambushed” during the confrontation and accused Olinda of firing her because of her complaint.
Gain Healthcare claimed the dismissal was due to other conduct issues, but the tribunal dismissed these reasons as unsupported. Judge Colin Baran stated that the primary reason for Stoter’s dismissal was her protected disclosure about Tytan’s behaviour, which the company failed to investigate properly.
Stoter, who represented herself at the hearing, was awarded both unfair dismissal and victimization. She told The Daily Mail she was proud to stand up for herself despite the difficulties.
The ruling has sparked reactions in Zimbabwe, where both Olinda and Tytan are well-known public figures. Olinda, previously an advocate for women’s rights and mental health, now faces scrutiny over her role in the case. Tytan has yet to comment publicly.
A compensation hearing is scheduled for September 2025, at which Stoter is expected to receive damages. The case highlights concerns over safeguarding responsibilities and the handling of misconduct allegations within organizations working with vulnerable populations.