Africa-Press – Eswatini. Junior police and warders have advised the Government Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo that they were law-abiding citizens and not terrorists.
The officers said Nxumalo had peddled misleading information, which he could not qualify.
They said these were serious allegations adding that they were not intimidated by the statements.
They said the same junior officers being called terrorists were the ones who provided security to senior government officials without complaining.
Nxumalo, in a press briefing on Saturday stated that government was convinced that terrorists’ elements had infiltrated the police and correctional services junior officers.
This comes in light of recent events that have resulted in a stand-off between government and the officers over the delay in implementation of Phase II of a salary review of 2014.
The junior officers from both security services marched to Cabinet about two weeks ago where they delivered a petition. This was followed by a ‘visit’ to the prime minister’s homestead at Nhlambeni last week.
Nxumalo, responding to the action said the officers in question were not only out of order but an indication of terrorist elements existed among them.
Eswatini Correctional Services Staff Association (ECOSSA) President, Simiso Ginindza said Nxumalo must stop misleading the nation by linking the plight of junior officers with terrorism.
“ECOSSA is not intimidated by the employer’s spokesperson,” Ginindza said. Meanwhile the REPOSA Secretary General Sergeant, Dumisile Khumalo, said Nxumalo could not qualify his statement.
Khumalo said they were being insulted for simply expressing their plight.
She said they would visit Nxumalo so that he explain the reasons for making such sentiments.
According to Khumalo, junior officers were dedicated to their work despite suffering severe losses from different attacks and not being compensated by the same government, now calling them terrorists. She said when they delivered the petitions, a number of junior officers remained on-duty, which meant that they were dedicated to their work despite being persecuted on a daily basis by unknown people.
She highlighted that the same junior officers being called terrorists were the ones who provided security to senior government officials without complaining.
“How can they be guarded by terrorists?” she enquired.
She said all they wanted was Phase II of the salary review process nothing else.
“Since 2014, senior officers are enjoying Phase II but when we demand the same, we are called terrorists,” Khumalo said. She said they wanted Phase II of the salary restructuring review by the end of November.
She added that some government officials were allegedly being the driving force to these disagreements as they wanted to benefit from the plight faced by junior officers. “Even if they can intimidate us, we will not surrender. We are past intimidations and fear, she said.
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