By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Eswatini cops are facing escalating suicide cases amid financial challenges among junior police officers,  cops are killing themselves in their line of duty as Government refuses to implement a salary increment under Phase two(II) in complete defiance of a Supreme Court order directing the State to implement the salary increment.

The defied court order comes after junior cops successfully approached the court through lawyer Thabiso Mavuso demanding the implementation of a 2014 Government Circular, awarding the cops a salary increment.

Lucky Vilakati who was based at Malkerns Police Station and Lobamba cop Mduduzi Ndumiso Dlamini committed suicide by shooting and killing themselves and this means the country has lost two(2) law enforcement officers within two weeks.

But in a statement sent to this Swaziland News on Wednesday, the Royal Eswatini Police Staff Association(REPOSA) blamed Government for the escalating suicide deaths within the Police Service, citing the delay in the implementation of the salary increment.

“REPOSA has gathered that one of the deceased officers disclosed his financial problems to the supervisors who did nothing but called upon the deceased to report for duty. REPOSA is shocked as to why was the Officer not attended and taken for counseling and further make means to bail the officer out as the National Commissioner has in the past months pocketed close to One Million through Sports and Welfare,” reads the statement in part.

Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati,the eSwatini Police Spokesperson told the media that, National Commissioner Vusi Masango will soon launch an investigation into the suicide deaths within  the law enforcement agency.

Superintendent Vilakati was reacting to a story exclusively published by this Swaziland News and suggesting that, another cop has “killed himself” in his line of duty.

“The National Commissioner is deeply concerned about the ongoing suicide deaths within the Police Service and will soon launch an investigation to ascertain the causes,” she said.

Security officers in eSwatini are among financially struggling civil servants and Government has been delaying or refusing to implement the salary increment.

As a result, junior cops have resolved to march to the Ministry of Public Service on Friday to demand their salary increment under Phase two(II). 

The law enforcement officers will then march to the Police Headquarters and proceed to the Prime Minister’s Office next week,REPOSA said through a press statement sent to this publication.