JUNIOR COPS, WARDERS TO FACE MUSIC OVER MARCH

MBABANE – Junior officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) who took part in the march to deliver petitions to the Cabinet Offices could be in trouble.

This follows a statement issued by the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police William Tsitsibala Dlamini and Commissioner General (COMGEN) Phindile Dlamini. In the statement, the NATCOM stated that the police service would ensure that those who were part of the march account for their actions by evoking the relevant organisational disciplinary regime and codes. He said the embarrassing conduct by the officers who were marching yesterday was a deviation that would not be tolerated. He noted that the actions of the few individuals had no reflection to the vast majority of their members who remained loyal, disciplined and true to their oath of office.

Ill-discipline

The NATCOM said as a police service, they bore witness to the shocking act of ill-discipline and defiance when a group of police and Correctional officers marched to deliver a petition to the Cabinet Offices on the now much-publicised matter of Phase II of the salary restructuring exercise. According to the NATCOM, this unfortunate act was despite the fact that the Minister of Public Service had held several meetings with the Police Staff Association (PSAs) and leadership on the matter. He said last Friday, he had issued a statement outlining progress and how the issue would be addressed going forward. “As a police service, we would like to state that such behaviour goes against the set standards of acceptable code of conduct for its members,” said the NATCOM. He condemned such an act in the strongest terms possible, adding that it undercut the integrity of the REPS and set a bad example.

Furthermore, he stated that the police service believed in discipline, respect and following proper structures and channels when dealing with issues pertaining to the welfare of its members. As such, he stated that he would be visiting the different policing regions to engage officers on issues affecting their conditions of service. Meanwhile, the COMGEN of HMCS, in her statement, stated that action would be taken against those who had violated their work ethics and oath of office. She stated that her office on Monday, through officers in charge, conveyed a message from the Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko, assuring officers through their staff associations of the commitment made by government to address the matter as a consultant had been engaged. The COMGEN assured the staff across all ranks that concerns affecting their work would always be given priority and that should there be any glitches, they should always engage the known and relevant structures to address those challenges as her office had an open door policy.

Condemned

She condemned in the strongest terms the behaviour of the officers, especially because HMCS was guided by a set of legislation and general orders, which distinctly relayed their operational procedures, both with internal and external structures. Meanwhile, the junior officers from REPS and HMCS rewrote history when they marched to deliver petitions to the Cabinet Offices. The officers gathered next to the Mbabane Government Hospital and marched without being escorted to the Cabinet Offices to deliver the petitions. They were clad in full uniform while others wore black as a sign of mourning and marched to the Cabinet Offices led by members of the staff associations. The petitions were directed to the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, who is the Minister of Police, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Ministry of Public Service. Acting Principal Secretary (PS) at the Cabinet Offices Nhlanhla Mnisi received the petitions. Mnisi received the petitions on behalf of all the ministries they were directed to. Reading the petition before handing it over, Police Staff Association (PSA) Secretary General (SG) Sergeant Dumisile Khumalo noted that Circular No.2 of 2014 was in two phases but only phase was implemented. Khumalo said phase two was to be implemented subsequently.

Implementation

She stated that it was now the eighth year without the implementation of phase two. “We are hungry and can no longer work and have come to make an appeal to our father, who is the Minister of Police, the Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini.” Khumalo noted that they were also appealing to the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs who was responsible for Correctional Services. Also, she mentioned that there was the minister of Public Service and the minister of Finance. In the petitions, she stated that they had tried to address the minister of Public Service in writing, where they successfully pleaded their case and hoped he would assist them. Khumalo said they were given hope by the minister, who told them that they would fix things where they went wrong.

The SG stated that they went as far as submitting the circulars, but were disappointed to learn from the police boss, who told them there would be no phase two. Khumalo noted that the police boss acknowledged that phase one was implemented from NATCOM, COMGEN up until the senior superintendents. However, she said they were told that when phase two was to be implemented, it was revoked following that there would be a review in 2016.

Restructuring

According to Khumalo, restructuring and review were different issues. She said there was ululations in their 2014 police parade when they were told by the King that they would be salaried parallel with the SADC region. This, she said was because they thought His Majesty’s utterances were law. Khumalo said it was for the above reason that they showed respect when coming to deliver the petition. She said they followed all structures, including addressing their superiors but they realised that there was no truth, hence their decision to appeal to Cabinet.  

Khumalo said junior officers were killed tragically but had not complained and continued to work diligently without quitting. Meanwhile, she said while the circular was revoked, others were benefitting, which was very painful and hurting to them. Khumalo mentioned that when they addressed the matter with the minister of Public Service, where the circulars were issued they revisited them and found out that constables were awarded only five per cent, while other superior ranks received over 20 per cent and up to 30 per cent. This, she said, was in 2005, while in 2007 they were rewarded with only E1 000. 

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