By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE: Alpheous Nxumalo, the Government Spokesperson has come out to clarify that junior police and Correctional Services officers might not receive their salary increment under Phase two(2) as per the recent historic judgement of the Supreme Court. 

Nxumalo told the State owned Eswatini Observer on Sunday that, the judgement “has far reaching consequences and therefore, it is being reviewed by Government”.

Reached for comments regarding the Government’s position to refuse with their salary increment, Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo, the Secretary General of the Royal Eswatini Police Staff Association(REPOSA) told this Swaziland News that,junior police officers will use other means to put pressure on Government if the judgement of the court “is defied”.

Sergeant Khumalo wondered what was being reviewed by Government if there was a Consultant working on the matter.

“Kusho kutsi uyasangana-ke loHulumende lona, phela ngabe bona bayajabula ngale-judgement ngoba basitjela kutsi indzaba isetjentwa yi-Consultant and this means they should be happy that this judgement is amplifying the work of the Consultant. So Government is now telling us that, there was never a Consultant?. We will use other means to put pressure on Government until we receive our money”, said the Secretary General of the Police Staff Association.

But this is not the first time Government openly demonstrate defiance towards court orders, on the 28th November 2002, the then Prime Minister Dr. Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini issued a statement defying an order of the Supreme Court of Appeal and this, resulted to the resignation of Judges triggering a judicial crisis.

The Government normally applauds the courts when some Judges persecute those calling for democracy, branding the judiciary as independent, credible and vibrant.

But, tension between the Executive and the Judiciary normally erupts whenever the courts “deliver judgements against the Government.