CIVIL SERVANTS TOO COSTLY TO MAINTAIN

Eswatini faces a growing fiscal crisis as its wage bill, projected to reach E10.48 billion in the next financial year (beginning April 1, 2025), continues its unsustainable climb.

This represents a substantial increase from the current financial year’s E9.8 billion (ending March 31, 2025), exceeding even the capital projects budget of E7 247 687 000, which the Minister for Finance Neal Herman Rijkenberg is rooting for, to fix the economy. This escalating expenditure underscores the urgent need to address the country’s bloated Civil Service. The World Bank’s consistent advice to right-size the public sector, highlighting the disproportionate one-third of public funds dedicated to salaries, has reignited a crucial national debate.

Should Eswatini undertake a comprehensive, potentially disruptive, review of its entire Civil Service structure, or explore less drastic measures like early retirement packages? The complexity of the situation demands a nuanced approach, considering not only the fiscal implications but also the potential impact on service delivery and the livelihoods of civil servants. The urgency of the matter is underscored by recent media reports highlighting the difficulties within the education sector.

Stories of teachers reportedly abandoning their posts, followed by directives from the Ministry of Education and Training requiring them to explain their absence, paint a picture of a system under significant stress. This situation serves as a microcosm of the broader challenges facing the Civil Service and underscores the pressing need for a thorough assessment.

Such an evaluation must encompass not just the sheer number of employees but also their distribution across various departments, their qualifications, their actual productivity and the efficacy of existing management structures. One potential avenue for reform lies in the strategic transfer of specific government departments to parastatal organisations. This restructuring could offer a more focused and efficient management approach, allowing staffing levels to be meticulously aligned with the specific deliverables and operational needs of each parastatal.

By streamlining operations and eliminating redundancies, this move could contribute significantly to reducing the overall wage bill. Moreover, it could potentially lead to improved service delivery as parastatals, often operating with a more business-oriented mindset, might be more agile and responsive to public needs.

Execution

However, this transition requires careful planning and execution to avoid disruptions and ensure a seamless transfer of responsibilities. Clear guidelines, robust training programmes, and transparent communication will be essential to ensure the success of such a restructuring. Beyond simply shifting departments, Eswatini could benefit from looking beyond its borders for inspiration and innovative strategies. The approach employed by figures like Elon Musk in the US, while often controversial, offers a compelling example of using data-driven metrics to evaluate job performance.

By implementing a system that objectively measures employee output, contribution and adherence to performance standards, Eswatini could gain valuable insights into areas of both strength and weakness within its Civil Service. Such a system could identify areas where resources are being underutilised, where there is a genuine need for additional staff, and where targeted training or professional development could enhance productivity.
This data-driven approach could also facilitate more informed decision-making regarding promotions, transfers and even separations, ensuring that personnel decisions are based on merit and performance rather than seniority or other less objective criteria.

However, the implementation of such a system requires careful consideration of the local context. It is crucial to adapt and tailor any borrowed strategies to fit the specific needs and cultural nuances of Eswatini’s public sector. Furthermore, transparency and fairness are paramount. The criteria for evaluation must be clearly defined, communicated effectively to all employees and applied consistently across the board.

Grievance

Mechanisms for appeals and grievance resolution must also be established to ensure that employees feel they are being treated fairly. Any reform of the Civil Service, regardless of the specific strategies employed, must be approached with caution, sensitivity and a deep understanding of the potential impact on the lives of civil servants. It is essential to recognise that these are individuals who have dedicated their careers to public service, and their livelihoods must be protected.

Simply resorting to mass lay-offs or drastic cuts without adequate planning and support could have devastating consequences for both the individuals affected and the broader economy. Therefore, a crucial element of any reform process must be a commitment to open and constructive dialogue with labour unions, Civil Service associations and other relevant stakeholders. These groups represent the interests of civil servants and possess valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the public sector.

Their active participation in the reform process is essential for building consensus, ensuring buy-in and mitigating potential resistance to change.  This dialogue should not be merely a formality but a genuine effort to understand the concerns of all stakeholders and to incorporate their perspectives into the design and implementation of reform measures.

Furthermore, any reform effort must be accompanied by a robust social safety net to support those who may be displaced or negatively impacted by the changes. This could include providing generous severance packages, offering retraining and skills development opportunities to facilitate their transition to other employment and providing access to career counseling and job placement services. The goal should be to ensure that no one is left behind in the process of reforming the civil service.

Balance

The future of Eswatini’s Civil Service hangs in the balance. The status quo is clearly unsustainable, and the country can no longer afford to ignore the mounting pressure to address its bloated wage bill and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its public sector. However, the path forward is not without its challenges.  Reforming the civil service is a complex undertaking that requires careful planning, thoughtful execution and a genuine commitment to engaging with all stakeholders.

By adopting a comprehensive, well-planned and inclusive approach, Eswatini can create a Civil Service that is not only fiscally responsible but also fit for purpose, capable of delivering high-quality services to its citizens and equipped to support the nation’s development goals. The task is daunting, but the potential rewards – a more efficient government, a stronger economy and a better future for all emaSwati – make it a challenge worth embracing.

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