MBABANE: Princess Sikhanyiso, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) has urged government to consider prioritizing community police in the ongoing recruitment for law-enforcers.
The King’s first born daughter was speaking during a Cabinet meeting that was held in Mbabane on Tuesday behind closed doors, however, this journalist managed to intercept the whole proceedings and captured what was discussed there.
The Cabinet meeting was Chaired by Agriculture Minister Jabulani Mabuza on behalf of Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku who had gone to welcome SADC Troika Chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Constitutionally, Cabinet meetings are chaired by the Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini is in Scotland attending a climate change meeting on behalf of Mswati.
“It is advisable that during the ongoing police recruitment exercise, community police must be given preferential offer to encourage them to defend the country at community level. These community police have experience and familiarity of the issues within their community bacasheke nje babe ngemaphoyisa aleto tindzawo tabo kute nalabanye batobona kutsi oh-cha, kuyasebenteka vele live liyababonga kulokutikhandla kwabo(meaning: they must be employed as police officers for their communities so that others can see that the country is rewarding them)”, said the ICT Minister.
Agriculture Minister Jabulani Mabuza who was chairing the Cabinet meeting thanked the Princess but noted that most community police officers were above the required age for recruitment within the police service. Mabuza suggested that the community police must be paid allowances to encourage them to work hard.
“We must try to encourage them with an allowance just like Bagcugcuteli, sentele kutsi sitokhona kubasebentisa kubambisa Hulumende kulendzaba lena yetikolwa ikakhukukati nangabe laba bekunene labalwa nelive ba-opter kutsi kuncono kusebentisa labantfwana, so that live litoba netinkinga(meaning: We can then use them to protect schools particularly from those who are fighting the country using children)”, said the Agriculture Minister who was chairing the meeting.
Minister Princess Sikhanyiso