By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Vusi Manoma Masango,the National Commissioner of Police might soon be dragged to court again and this time,for allegedly defying a court preventing him from transferring some members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service Staff Association(REPOSA) pending the finalization of a matter challenging same including the suspension of the cops.

Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati declined to comment about the matter.

Thabiso Mavuso, the lawyer representing the junior police officers confirmed to this Swaziland News that they might approach the court, accusing the National Commissioner of defying a court order.

“Please contact Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo for more details”, said the lawyer.

A source close to the matter told this publication that, the decision to take the National Commissioner to court “is meant to demonstrate to him” that he can’t defy court orders with impunity.

“After reading the comments made by Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala and Supreme Court Judge Phesheya Dlamini in the ongoing matter, the National Commissioner said if we can win the matter in court, he can resign because that would mean junior police officers will never take orders from him and be disciplined, they will always run to court. Sifuna kumkhomba-ke ngoba ngatsi uta ngalobu-OSSU. We are demanding our money here and the more he demonstrates arrogance, the police organization will be divided and he will never be able to control the situation.Ngeke phela utsi unguMphatsi weMaphoyisa bese wedzelela eMajaji and defy a court order. We ran to court because as officers of the law, we believe in the rule of law not violence”, said a source who spoke to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini on Monday afternoon.

But a document seen by this Swaziland News suggests that, the National Commissioner transferred the officers on the 15th November 2024.

Over two hundred(200) cops were included in the transfer in what appeared to be a systematic tactic by the National Commissioner to divide the Police Staff Association and prevent some junior police officers from attending meetings as they were transferred far away from the central Manzini city where REPOSA meetings are normally held.

Reached for comments on Monday evening, Dumsile Khumalo, the Secretary General of the Police Staff Association confirmed that, they “are preparing a letter to the National Commissioner, demanding the reversal of the decision to transfer the REPOSA members.

The letter seeks to, among others, bring to the attention of the National Commissioner that, he is “defying a court order by transferring members of the Police Staff Association amid tension over the salary increment.

The matter is also pending before the House of Parliament and Members of Parliament(MPs) are vigorously calling for a salary increment for junior police and Correctional Services officers.

“I am writing the letter as we speak”, said the Secretary General.

The National Commissioner of Police is currently in court with junior police officers after he persecuted the cops merely for, marching to the Prime Minister’s Office, demanding a salary increment under Phase two(2).