Times Of Swaziland: JUNIOR COPS, WARDERS  HALT PLAN TO SEE KING

JUNIOR COPS, WARDERS  HALT PLAN TO SEE KING
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Sicelo Maziya on 01/10/2022 07:30:00


MBABANE: Junior police and Correctional Services officers have suspended moves
to seek an audience with His Majesty the King.
The officers disclosed to Eswatini News that following a proactive move by the
Ministry of Public Service to engage them, they felt their move to get an
emissary (lincusa) to take them to the King could wait, at least for now. The
junior state security officers said they were on cloud nine for being recognised
by government as key stakeholders.
Applauded
They said the ministry should be applauded for affording them the platform to
bargain for their welfare as public servants within the essential services.
The Minister of Public Service, Mabulala Maseko, and his team were praised for
affording the officers a chance to state their case and further advance their
challenges. The engagement follows years of fruitless promises to junior police
and Correctional Services officers by their seniors. The engagement with the
ministry followed an urgent national executive and branch committees’ meeting
by the officers over the prolonged Phase II of the salary restructuring exercise
of 2014.
Police Staff Association General Secretary Sergeant Dumile Khumalo confirmed
that they had a fruitful engagement with the ministry. Khumalo said everything
was on the table and they were all praying and hoping for good news from the
ministry. She said the open lines of communication from the ministry were much
appreciated. “We are very much appreciative of the ministry as they value us
as equal partners. The ministry informed us of the latest engagement with the
minister,” said Khumalo. Meanwhile, the minister previously confirmed that
talks between his ministry and the officers were continuing smoothly. He was
reluctant to reveal more to the media as he pleaded that the discussions were
still between government and the officers.
Discussed
He said the matter was on the negotiation table and could not be discussed in
the public domain, for now. “It will be premature to release any information
regarding the status of the matter as it is still an issue under discussion
between government and her employees,” said Maseko.
The minister assured this publication that both parties would release a detailed
statement once talks had been concluded.