MBABANE – As some civil servants get their salary review pay this month, there are mixed feelings as some feel left out while others are ecstatic.
The mixed feelings emanate from the fact that the consultant – Emergence Human Capital T/A Emergence Growth, partnering with Umelusi Partners, recommended that civil servants remunerated under pay grades A and B would not receive a salary increment as they were highly paid when compared to some of the countries they benchmarked with. Employees in pay grade A include labourers, cleaners, groundsmen, messengers and light-duty drivers while those in pay grade B are assistant human resource officers, typists, junior clerks, immigration officers and secretaries.
It was recommended after conducting the job profiling exercise under this scenario workers would receive increments varying between zero per cent and 44 per cent. Workers paid using Grade A1 would get an eight per cent pay rise, while those under A2, A3 and B5 would receive zero per cent.
The consultant recommended that those under B1, B2, B3 and B4 should get a four per cent salary increment. As pay day for civil servants draw closer this month, those who received zero per cent have expressed their frustrations through various platforms, including contacting this publication.
Among the aforementioned pay grades, last October, the least-paid civil servant received about E4 705 as the salary review implementation began. This was driven by the fact that the implementation modalities of these salary grades did not have any upward adjustment and as such, they were given a once-off payment, calculated at five per cent of an annual basic salary. This means that employees paid under job grade A2, notch 5 had their salaries reduced from E5 105.17 (E61 262.04 annually) to E4 508.33 (E54 099.96 annually).
With the five per cent once-off payment of their new annual salary, they received E2 705. This is because the aforementioned pay grades with zero per cent transitioned on a notch-to-notch basis; meaning employees moved directly from their current notch in the old grade to the corresponding notch in the new grade structure.
In addition to this, they received a revised housing allowance as per the salary review report and it was implemented in full. This means in addition to the E2 705 five per cent once-off, they also received E2 000, excluding the bus fare allowances.
In retrospect, the civil servants claim that they were afforded a raw deal as the cost-of-living hikes daily. Those who engaged the publication expressed a belief that the appeals should have been completed before July, which is the month government committed to settling the outstanding 85 per cent that was withheld last October.
Last October, government committed to paying 15 per cent of the six months back pay (April 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025) of the salary adjustments as contained in Scenario III of the report. The 85 per cent back pay balances were deferred to the first month (July 2026) of the second quarter of this financial year 2026/2027. On the other hand, shop stewards for clinical and blood laboratory employees were yesterday locked in a meeting with the chief negotiator before proceeding to the Ministry of Public Service to discuss what they described as an abnormality in their payment.
As they crossed the street to the ministry, which is about 400 metres from the Blood Bank Laboratory in Mbabane where employees engaged in a peaceful demonstration, the employees expressed deep concern over what they termed unmet expectations by their employer, particularly after recommendations from the consultant at the conclusion of the salary review negotiations.
According to the employees, the consultant recommended an elevation from grade A2, which is equivalent to E8 000, to grade C3, equating to E15 000. It was claimed at some point there was an indication of an offer to award them grade B5, which is equivalent to E11 000. However, they are supposed to have rejected this offer as grades A and B are viewed as holding positions that attract no increments. “The government wants to abolish the A and B categories,” they claimed.
It was said they had anticipated payments in accordance with the C3 grade as recommended by the consultant last October; however, they were paid with A2 category, which they viewed as an abnormality. The employees claimed that they reported this discrepancy hoping government would implement the C3 salary grade, but nothing was done. They reported that there was a fear that elevating their salaries to C3, as recommended, would result in them matching more qualified staff. “We agreed to disagree after the chief negotiator hinted at B5. As things stand, we will sign the agreement and proceed to court for neutrality,” it was said.
It was also noted that signs of depression had begun to manifest among the employees following their unmet expectations. They said it is painful to note that other civil servants will be enjoying 85 per cent of the increment. The workers, holding placards with various messages, shared sentiments that their financial stress had worsened due to rising inflation.
One of the senior employees said, “I am about to retire, and it pains me that I might leave the public service without the benefit. When you consider children who have been sent home because they owe school fees, ours are included because we cannot afford them.” The employees explained that they opted for a silent demonstration because they did not want to be seen as fighting while pleading with their employer to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, some civil servants are expressing positive anticipation of their remuneration this month as they claim it will alleviate their financial challenges in the interim. Some in social media platforms are already saying July has been the longest month of the year as they already want pay day. Some of the posts, which are in jest, project those sharing their thoughts as crossing their fingers that nothing changes from their employer’s commitment.
Others said: “They should also recall that we sacrificed our allowances so that government could afford to pay them the five per cent once-off. They received E2 000 housing allowances while ours were ‘frozen’.”
On the other hand, this publication has reported that financial institutions and businesses have been positioning themselves to attract the anticipated increase in disposable income through tailored products and promotions. Some financiers are already marketing vehicle finance specifically for civil servants while others are availing property loans.
The marketing drive comes as businesses seek to capitalise on what is expected to be increased consumer spending once government pays the outstanding portion of the salary review. Financial institutions, vehicle dealers and retailers are expected to be among the sectors looking to benefit from the anticipated payout.
Window of appeals opens till August
MBABANE – There is a window for submission of appeals coming from the full implementation of the salary review report, including the allowances that will be paid from this July.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Mthunzi Shabangu said after the full implementation of the report this month, a window is going to be opened until end of August for the submission of appeals emanating from the full implementation of the salary review report, including the implementation of those allowances that will be paid from this month.
He said: “Appeals related to remuneration and job evaluation had already been submitted by civil servants and were duly registered. All appeals will then be forwarded to an independent professional consultant trained in remuneration and job evaluation to consider and make final determinations.”
Shabangu said for all those civil servants who have certain complaints about their job evaluation and grading as contained in the salary review report that is being implemented, they should await the start of the appeals exercise.
The exercise, he said, will be announced in earnest once all appeals have been received. Shabangu said government agreed with the PSUs to accept those appeals that may arise from this month before the appeals determination process is started.
He said the payment to be made this month does not emanate from a new salary raise process. He said government has an obligation to fulfil its outstanding or remaining obligations from the Collective Agreement that was signed with public sector unions (PSUs) on October 15, 2026, wherein the employer and the PSUs agreed to implement the salary review report in a staggered manner due to budgetary limitations on the part of government at the time.
“All salary adjustments that were recommended by the salary review report on Scenario III were implemented in full in October across all grades from A to F. What was not implemented in full was the backpay to April 2025 since that is the effective date for the salary review exercise. Government only paid 15 per cent of the six months back pay to April for Grades C to F and is owing the workers within these grades the 85 per cent backpay. All recommended allowances were also not paid for Grades C to F,” he said.
For grades A and B, Shabangu said, all adjustments that were recommended by the salary review report were implemented in full last October, including full backpay to April 2025.
In addition to this, he said there will be a five per cent once-off payment for grades A and B only; housing allowance and transport fare, respectively. “The five per cent once-off payment was not emanating from the salary review report, but it was a negotiated outcome between government and the PSUs based on the rationale that these grades had not received a significant increase in the salary review report.”
It’s a sham – SNAT
MBABANE – This is a sham!
To this, Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Lot Vilakati said the backpay will benefit politicians the most and said despite having their own remuneration Circular, the salary of the premier is pegged with that of the Secretary to Cabinet.
This, he said, resulted in double benefits which inflate the wage bill, resulting in all civil servants’ salaries being projected as steep, yet they were the least benefitting. “This is a sham,” he said.
Vilakati reiterated that public servants paid on grades A and B received ‘nothing’, while those on grade C were lowly paid. He said the only thing that will bring relief to civil servants’ financial pressures was them getting an annual upward increment – notch II.
Meanwhile, Acting Secretary General for the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) Msimeto Malindzisa said: “The issue of grades A and B is painful to us as we all buy from the same shops and it is why we submitted it to the Appeals committee.”
Despite this, it is also a fact that last October, they received something and Malindzisa said it was the union’s aspiration that these grades also receive a sound raise.
