By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini is not frustrating the process of awarding junior police officers their salary increment under Phase two(2) but familiarizing himself with the process of implementing same, Alpheous Nxumalo, the Government Spokesperson has clarified through a press statement released on Sunday morning.

This comes after junior police officers held a meeting at the Swaziland National Association of Teachers(SNAT) Centre-Manzini and blasted the Prime Minister, the meeting came subsequent to another engagement between the PM and representatives of the law enforcement agency earlier last week where the Prime Minister allegedly stated that, junior cops won’t receive their highly anticipated salary increment. 

But Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo has come out to clarify that, the Prime Minister “is not actually opposed to the salary increment” but familiarizing himself with the process of implementing same.

“Government has been made aware of a meeting by some junior police officers who are members of the Royal Eswatini Police Staff Association(REPOSA) that took place in Manzini yesterday. While there is nothing wrong with junior police officers holding meetings and discussing their welfare issues, Government notes the accusations made by the junior police officers against His Excellency the Prime Minister during this meeting. Junior police officers are advised against using Parliamentary politics and some Members of Parliament as trojan horses on purely administrative and bread and butter issues. His Excellency the Prime Minister is not “fighting” anyone in Parliament. The Prime Minister is a Member of Parliament(MP) first before he is Prime Minister.Therefore, he debates in Parliament like the rest of the other Members of the House and when he does so; he is not in a “fight” with anyone but addressing issues under debate”, said the Government Spokesperson.

Nxumalo further added that, by alluding that, the salary issue “is already a security threat, the junior police officers might be misinterpreted as already negotiating while putting a gun on the head of the person they are negotiating with.

“Now, that is not negotiating, but an act of committing a heist(KUBAMBINKUZI).These officers of the State know that very well. Besides, they have a responsibility and a duty to avoid the projections of a predetermined approach to escalate this matter on the table to “security threats” levels. That would be dangerous and polarizing to all the parties involved in the efforts to find solutions to this issue. The Prime Minister is not and has not done anything that seeks to cause division within the ranks of the Kingdom’s national security services”,he said through the statement.

The Government Spokesperson concluded by assuring junior police officers that, the Prime Minister “is engaging the relevant parties involved to find solutions to this matter”.