MANZINI:Vusi Manoma Masango,the eSwatini National Commissioner of Police allegedly deployed armed police officers to fight other junior cops at the SNAT Centre on Saturday morning.
The junior police officers were holding a meeting to discuss issues affecting their welfare including a salary increment under Phase two(2) that was Gazetted by Government but, never reached the pockets of the members of the law enforcement agency.
The National Commissioner and other members of the Executive Command, received a salary increment under Phase one(1), however, junior officers were intimidated when demanding their own increment.
This was heavily condemned by eSwatini Judges including Chief Justice(CJ) Bheki Maphalala and Supreme Court Judges as the matter is also manifesting in court following the suspension of other members of the Royal Eswatini Police Staff Association(REPOSA).
The Judges when commenting in an open court during proceedings wondered why the police officers were “being persecuted for demanding the money that is due to them”.
The financial struggle for junior police officers has been going on for the past ten(10) years, each junior police officers who was already employed when the Phase two(2) Gazette was issued “is allegedly being owed over one hundred thousand Rands(R100,000.00) back-pay while those holding the Sergeant position are allegedly entitled to over three hundred thousand Rands(R300,000.00) based on calculations conducted by this publication.
On another note, the National Commissioner allegedly ordered the junior police officers deployed at SNAT Centre to compile a list of all the cops who attended the meeting.
The officers who attended the meeting, were allegedly stopped at the entrance gate after the meeting, and subsequently ordered to produce their names including ‘force numbers’.
Eswatini National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango compiles names of all junior police officers who attended ‘demand a salary increment’ meeting at SNAT Centre, armed cops deployed to fight colleagues.