PM SAYS DURING REPS TOUR: SOME COPS ILL-TREAT PUBLIC, NEED TO RETURN TO COLLEGE

MBABANE – Prime Minister (PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini has decried the manner in which some police officers treat members of the public.

He said some police officers need to go back to the Police Academy for more training. Dlamini said this was despite the fact that they were already deployed to various workstations, executing their duties. He said the manner in which some of the officers addressed the public was uncalled for and something should be done to sharpen them, so that they could change for the better. The PM said this yesterday at the Hhohho Regional Police Headquarters, after touring areas such as the Matsapha Police Academy, Malkerns Police Station, Mbabane Police New Camp, Police Photography and Printing and Police Stores and Tailoring Services departments.

Experience

The PM also shared his personal experience where a traffic police officer treated him unfairly while driving on one of the country’s roads. “One of the traffic police officers left me shocked by the way he talked to me. I then asked myself if he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed or what. The officer became aggressive. Is there any problem with politely talking to other people?” he asked.  The PM further said he received a phone call from someone a couple of weeks ago, stating that he held him in high esteem, but he was unhappy with the way some of the police officers treated him. He said the caller pleaded with him to ensure that government saw to it that this issue was addressed. The PM indicated that Eswatini is a small country, and the people were closely related in one way or the other.

He said treating others in a proper manner was important. He pleaded with the police officers to maintain their professionalism when executing their duties. The PM urged the officers not to allow wrong things or behaviour to dent their excellent work.He also told the officers that people from other countries, who visited the kingdom, applauded the police for their good service and professionalism when dealing with the public. Dlamini said this was despite that some members of the public did not recognise the good work done by the police. He acknowledged the police officers for their commitment to their work. He said since the duty of police officers is to work hand-in hand with local and foreign people, it is crucial for them to always treat the public appropriately and fairly.

“Foreign nationals have voiced out the good work done by the police. They applaud the officers for doing their work at a professional level. “They also indicated that the police know how to deal with someone who has done something wrong, without that individual losing his or her dignity. “Even tourists monitor the way you operate. Respect is very important. The current government has taken a stand to promote cultural values, such as respect, that seems to be fading away,” he said.

Encouraged

Dlamini encouraged the officers by quoting a Scripture about the importance of maintaining a good name.  Scripturally, the PM said, a good name is better than wealth. He pleaded with the officers to always uphold REPS’s good name, as some foreign nationals have observed. On another note, the PM assured the officers that his office was dealing with the non-conducive conditions they worked under. “We have heard about the shortage of motor vehicles. The cars issue is going to be addressed very soon. We have also heard about your concerns of living in poorly maintained houses. We decided to come with those from Housing and Microprojects to assess the housing conditions. Konkhe sekudvutane kutsi kulunge (all will be solved soon),” he assured.

The PM also guaranteed the officers that the promotions issue, which has been a thorn in the flats for others, was being attended to. According to the premier, the current NatCom and senior management said they did not want any corruption within the police service. He said working transparently as far as promotions for officers is concerned, is important in curbing any form of corruption.  He said promoting deserving officers kept them motivated while doing their work. The issue of salaries, which many police officers wanted to hear about, was touched on by the premier.  While addressing that point, in vernacular he said: “Nayo seyidvutane. Seyisebhodweni iyaphekwa.”

Appreciation

The police officers showed their appreciation with a clap of hands. The PM said now that the matter had been brought to his office, it was being dealt with. He said he was making a constant follow-up on the salaries issue. “Patience is key and we can assure you your issues will be addressed soon,” he said.  He pleaded for unity within the police department.  According to Dlamini, unity makes people do greater things. He reminded them about the story in the Bible where certain people became united in building the Tower of Babel.
“Unity is power. Let us be one in fighting corruption. We are not supposed to be the ones exacerbating corruption. If there is anyone among us taking part in corruption, they must refrain from it because woe unto you,” he said.

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