By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE:The assault and abduction of the Royal Eswatini Police Service Staff Association(REPOSA) Secretary General Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo is a direct attack on justice and democracy, the South African Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union(POPCRU) says through a press statement released on Sunday afternoon.

The press statement comes after the “widely reported assault and abduction of Sergeant Khumalo who is currently being persecuted in eSwatini merely for demanding a salary increment for junior police officers”.

On Saturday, a batallion of armed police officers from the Operational Support Services Unit(OSSU) stopped a meeting at Caritas-Manzini before abducting Sergeant Khumalo, the meeting was meant or organized to discuss the delayed salary increment for junior cops.

“The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) strongly condemns the abhorrent abduction and assault of the General Secretary of the Royal Eswatini Police Service Organisation (REPOSA), Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo, by senior police officers in eSwatini last week. This act of brutality against a dedicated union leader is not only a violation of fundamental human rights but also a direct attack on the principles of justice and democracy.Sergeant Khumalo, a steadfast advocate for the rights and welfare of police officers in eSwatini, was reportedly taken against her will and subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of those entrusted with upholding the law. Such acts of intimidation and violence have no place in any society, especially within law enforcement agencies that should serve as beacons of justice and protection,” reads the statement in part.

POPCRU subsequently expressed unwavering solidarity with Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo and the entire REPOSA leadership during this challenging time. 

“We call upon the Eswatini National Police Commissioner to instruct his police to stop the victimisation of workers when advocating for their genuine rights, government and relevant international human rights bodies to conduct an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into this incident. South Africa in particular must never allow human rights abuses to continue unabated, and the perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent measures should be taken to ensure the safety and security of union leaders and all law enforcement personnel advocating for fair labour rights.

Furthermore, we reiterate our demand for the protection of workers’ rights, particularly within policing institutions across the African continent. Unionization is a fundamental right, and no law enforcement official should be targeted for exercising their duty to fight for better working conditions and justice within the profession,” the South African Police Union said through the statement.

But the abduction of Sergeant Khumalo comes after members of the Eswatini Police Executive Command who allegedly misappropriated millions budget by Government to increase salaries for junior police officers under Phase two(2), unleashed senior police officers, the Operational Support Services Unit(OSSU) and recruits to assault and silence junior cops who are demanding their delayed salary increment.

As a result, Sergeant Khumalo, in her capacity as the REPOSA Secretary General, is being targeted merely for being vocal in demand for the salary increment on behalf of junior police officers.