MBABANE: Eswatini State security is under threat after the Government officially announced that junior police and Correctional Services officers won’t receive their salary increment under Phase two(II).
In a statement released on Friday, Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo said,the Supreme Court judgement awarding junior security officers a salary increment will be reviewed because of exceptional circumstances.
“Government has, upon examining the Supreme Court judgment on the issue of Phase II salary restructuring for junior national security officers, concluded that there exist exceptional circumstances that warrants a review of the said judgment. Accordingly, Government is processing an application for review of the judgment”, reads the statement in part.
But this is not the first time the eSwatini Government demonstrate reluctance to respect Supreme Court orders, sources told this Swaziland News that, Judges will be intimidated to reverse the salary increment judgement that “is highly expected to cost Government over R1billion as a back-pay for junior security officers”.
Government has been refusing to award junior security officers their salary increment for over ten(10) years now and, the junior police and Correctional Services officers are now entitled to a back-pay amounting to over one hundred thousand Rands(R100,000.00) each, while those holding the position of Sergeant are allegedly entitled to over three hundred thousand Rands(R300,000.00).
But apart from paying the back-pay, the Government “is, in terms of the Phase two Circular, obligated” to increase the salaries to at least fifteen thousand Rands(R15,000.00) while those holding the position of Sergeant, will earn over eighteen thousand Rands(R18,000.00) monthly.
But while the security officers were expecting their payment, Government announced that,the court order won’t be implemented or respected but instead, a Consultant will be engaged to review the salaries.
Worth-noting, Government has been citing Consultants for the past ten(10) years and recently, Public Service Minister Mabulala Maseko told Parliament that, Phase two was implemented triggering tension with the junior police officers.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini recently told police officers that, they won’t receive any salary increment under Phase two.
Eswatini is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute Monarch, the country is facing high levels of poverty amid low salaries for civil servants including security officers and workers within the private sector.
The low wages paid in eSwatini have reduced the standard of living for a majority of the citizens, about 70% of the population live below the poverty line.
King Mswati.