JUNIOR COPS, WARDERS RESOLVE TO PETITION PM, MINISTERS

MANZINI – This week, junior police officers and warders, are planning to deliver petitiones to the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini and two other ministers.

This was a resolution taken in a meeting by over 50 law enforcement officers following the protracted salary restructuring exercise, which saw their leaders getting an increment. In the latest twist of events, junior officers of His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) and those from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), summoned the task team assigned to deal with the the impact of the non-implementation of this phase. However, the meeting was open to junior REPS and Correctional Services officers. In the meeting, the junior law enforcers from both entities were reportedly angry, with some shedding tears over the frustrations they had endured regarding their anticipation of Phase II of the restructuring exercise. The junior officers reportedly thanked the task team for what they had done in dealing with the matter and subsequently informed them that they (junior officers) would now use their discretion in dealing with the issue moving forward.

Appreciated

It was gathered that the junior officers informed the task team that they appreciated that they had been respectful in their engagements; however, the said respect was supposedly not reciprocated. Impeccable sources said the officers reportedly informed the task team that they had not, at any instance, stated that they would not engage in industrial action. A day before the police staff association met the Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko, it was gathered, they were summoned by their supervisors, who allegedly threatened them about their action. It was also gathered that the staff association was then made to communicate that they (police officers) would never engage in a strike. Subsequent to this, the junior officers said there should be a statement which shall explicitly communicate that they had never said they would not protest or engage in a strike. It was gathered that the officers recited a resolution they expressed when the restructuring exercise started, which was to seek legal recourse regarding the salary restructuring exercise, write to the minister of Public Service and lastly, pay a courtesy call on His Majesty King Mswati III.

Meeting

However, during the meeting, the lowly ranked law enforcers said they could not engage in their first resolution (seeking legal recourse) because when their task team engaged the minister, he said the document would not be implemented. The officers collectively emphasised that they ought to benefit from the salary restructuring exercise as they engaged in dangerous work and they were currently at the receiving end of violence meted supposedly by a clique against the current system of governance. “The officers said they will petition the minister (of Public Service Mabulala Maseko) who releases the circulars dealing with remuneration in the civil service, the PM and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the officers were supposedly not specific on the day the petitions were to be delivered; but said it should be this week. In fact, sources claimed that the junior officers dubbed this week as one of action. Police Staff Association (PSA) Secretary Sergeant Dumisile Khumalo confirmed that there was a meeting convened by the junior officers. She said they were informed that the junior officers would deal with the matter. Khumalo also acknowledged the resolutions taken by the junior officers but said as an association they could not say much.
“There is nothing much we can say as the meeting was convened by the junior officers from both camps. What I personally observed was that they were very angry,” Khumalo said. The concerns of the junior officers are the prolonged implementation of the Phase II of the restructuring exercise of 2014.

Another concern was the joint task team report, which recommended that junior officers who occupied lower ranks (sergeants /sergeant instructors, warder instructors and constables/warders) in the police and Correctional services should get three per cent compensation from the Phase II of the restructuring exercise of 2014, while those in the ranks between assistant inspectors/assistant chief officers and superintendents should enjoy a salary upgrade that would range between 8.1 per cent and 22.6 per cent. The matter started in July 7, 2014 when government, through the Ministry of Public Service, issued Circular No.2 of 2014 for the implementation of the restructuring programme for the REPS and HMCS. This was structured to be in two phases; Phase I, which covered the strategic levels of the two services and Phase II being the tactical layer. Phase I was implemented, while Phase II was not.

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