In this country, junior police officers, soldiers and Correctional Services officers are financially broke and, we cannot pretend as if we don’t know why these security officers are struggling.
The problem with being powerful with a decent salary like National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango is that, in most instances, you end-up losing touch with reality such that when your subordinates cry saying “we are hungry Sir”, you tend to think they are being disrespectful or undermining your authority.
The National Commissioner of Police must remember that, these are officers of the law not his children, his relationship with them is based on and/or governed by employer-employee principles.
In this regard, employees have a right to hold meetings and discuss issues affecting their welfare including salaries without any form of intimidation from the employer.
This oppressive tendency in this country where those who are powerful yield power against the powerless with impunity must stop, there was absolutely no reason whatsoever, for the National Commissioner to deploy armed police officers at SNAT to intimidate other cops who are demanding a salary increment.
It seems in this country there are powerful people who are eager to see others suffering and this is absolutely wrong, we can’t have a country where officers of the law are intentionally made to be poor and then expect a professional security service.
National Commissioner Vusi Masango is seemingly suffering from the Operational Support Services Unit(OSSU) hangover where he was trained that differences are resolved through violence and intimidation without understanding that, he is now dealing with a completely different situation that might divide the police organization.
Recently, the National Commissioner was praised by the public amid the arrest of the “facata” suspects, this was actually the work of junior police officers and once he starts fighting his own officers, he will regret.
Chief Justice(CJ) Bheki Maphalala and Supreme Court Judge Phesheya Dlamini made comments about this issue, the Judges wondered “why the police officers are being persecuted for demanding a salary increment that is due to them?”.
Even before the court issues a judgement in the matter, comments from Judges should have guided the National Commissioner to find ways of resolving this issue, the only way to address this matter is to pay the police officers what is due to them.
The Judges made fair comments,police officers have a right to march and demand a salary increment and what the National Commissioner is doing undermines State security.
Compiling the list of officers who attended the meeting at SNAT Centre on Saturday will not solve the problem because, there are many officers who are waiting for this money.
As a result, Masango might find himself suspending or dismissing almost the entire organization that is if he will succeed.
The solution to all this is money, the National Commissioner received his salary increment under Phase one(1) and now, he is using guns to intimidate junior officers who are demanding their own money not from his pocket but from Government.
This is the highest level of bullying, greediness and of course,mixed with stupidity and arrogance because, the more the National Commissioner uses intimidation against hungry police officers, they will lose respect and start defying him.
As the confusion and infighting within the police service intensify, the King will have no alternative but to remove National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango.
It is the National Commissioner who should be engaging Government seeking among others, a peaceful resolution amid the conflict but as he must remember that, the solution is money.
National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango(pic: REPS).