By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Government allegedly pays police officers within the Criminal Investigation Department(CID) a mere one hundred Rands(R100) as a detective allowance.

The police criminal investigators who are not in uniform are expected to use the R100.00 to buy clothes and pay informers who are providing them with information in their line of duty.

This disclosure comes after a series of reports by this Swaziland News exposing how government through the Central Bank paid one hundred thousand(R100,000.00) every month to the police service to assist police criminal investigators when conducting their duties including paying informers, however, the money was allegedly misappropriated by senior police officers at the Police Headquarters.

A police officer within the Criminal Investigation Department(CID) sent some documents substantiating that they were paid only R100.00 as a detective allowance, he urged the coming new democratic government to increase the allowance to at least R1,500.00.

“We are expected to be presentable at work with this E100, is that possible?We expected to pay our informants with the E100 detective allowance monthly, that's why we are incompetence in our investigations.In the new Swaziland, we want E1500 detective allowance and E1500 plain clothes allowance, hhayi lomsangano lona.Take good care of us in the new Swaziland,” said the police officer under the Criminal Investigation Department.

Questions were sent to Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the police Spokesperson, however, she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments, Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) assured all police officers that they would be treated with dignity under a democratic dispensation.

“Police officers would be treated with dignity under a democratic dispensation, they will actually receive more money including performance allowance. We will ensure that they are treated with dignity so that they also treat the citizens with dignity.For now they are treated like members of the regiments by the current government. What police officers need to understand is that they don’t have a future under this government, their future and that of their children is with the coming new democratic government”, said the PUDEMO President.