By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo, the Secretary General of the Royal Eswatini Police Staff Association(REPOSA) has confirmed a plot by the Police Executive Command to assassinate her, as calls for a salary increment for junior police officers intensify.

The information was leaked to this Swaziland News by a senior police officer who contacted editor Zweli Martin Dlamini on Tuesday afternoon and when this publication verified the information, Sergeant Khumalo also confirmed that, he was aware of the plot.

“They must just go to hell,we want our money. I belong to God bona basho kutsi ababoni kutsi angihambi ngedvwa ngihamba na-Nkulunkulu?. Ukhona umfati longenta yonkhe lentfo lena ahamba yedvwa?. I told the junior police officers that we must pray that whatever they plan against us be exposed and we haven’t even started the prayer but naku sekuyavela”, said the Secretary General of the Police Union.

Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati,the Police Spokesperson declined to comment when asked by this publication, about the alleged plot to assassinate the Police Union Secretary General.

Trade unions leaders are persecuted in eSwatini while human rights defenders are arrested, tortured or even killed.

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.