MBABANE – The country’s top politician, Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, is set to earn a monthly salary ranging from E151 512 to E230 156, with an annual salary between E1 818 147 and E2 761 880, according to the ongoing review of civil servant remuneration.
The figures were derived from recommendations made by consultancy firm, Umelusi Partners, engaged by government to review public sector salaries. The consultancy assessed current pay grades, recommended increases and, in some cases, retained existing salary levels, where no adjustment was warranted.
While the review focuses primarily on civil servants, politicians stand to benefit indirectly under Finance Circular No. 3 of 2023, which stipulates that political office-bearers’ salaries are pegged to that of the secretary to Cabinet.
Under the circular, the prime minister’s pay is set at 50 per cent higher than the secretary to Cabinet.
The Secretary to Cabinet’s annual salary is projected to fall between E1 212 098 and E1 841 253, with monthly pay ranging from E101 008 to E153 438.
These figures position the secretary to Cabinet as the highest-paid civil servant in the country, but still subordinate to the prime minister and other designated political office-bearers.
The final report on the salary review will be delivered on Monday by the Joint Negotiation Forum made of government and public sector unions.
Meanwhile, the prime minister will receive the proposed pay on the maximum or upper range, if Cabinet opts for Scenario One, which presents salaries at the upper end of the scale.
The consultancy proposed three scenarios, ranging from an ambitious, regionally competitive pay design to a lower-end benchmarked model based on Lesotho’s civil service structure.
Scenario One is intended to make Eswatini’s public service competitive within the southern African region, while Scenario Three reflects more conservative adjustments.
Cabinet will determine which scenario to adopt when finalising salaries for public officers.
Under the proposed structure, Secretary to Cabinet Victor Nxumalo will earn between E101 008 and E153 438 per month from October 2025, but this will remain below the prime minister’s pay, which is set to remain the highest among political office-bearers.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Thulisile Dladla, will also be positioned above the secretary to Cabinet, reflecting the hierarchy of designated office-bearers.
The figures reveal striking anomalies within the proposed structure. Currently, the prime minister earns E1 000 097 annually, equivalent to E85 174.75 monthly, while the deputy earns E970 993 annually or E80 916.08 per month.
The new structure preserves the status of the secretary to Cabinet as the highest-paid civil servant, yet senior politicians remain superior in pay.
Principal secretaries, under the proposed Grade F4 band, would earn E1 097 593 annually or E91 466 monthly, while under-secretaries would take home E82 793.91 per month, keeping them competitive but below political office-bearers.
This arrangement highlights the unusual scenario, in which civil service leaders must be overseen by politicians earning more, yet the politicians themselves are not the subject of the salary review.
Cabinet ministers’ pay is set separately and assessed by the Royal Commission, which conducts reviews only once per parliamentary term, usually at the end of office terms.
While politicians may not immediately benefit from the salary review, civil servants across the board are expected to see substantial increases.
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