Africa-Press – Eswatini. Christmas came early for junior officers as they have started receiving the four per cent salary adjustment as promised by government.
The four per cent was included in their December salaries as per the agreement between the ministry of public service, junior officer’s representatives and chief security officers in a meeting held in October.
The meeting was followed by the establishment of Circular Number 5 of 2022 which included the salary adjustment of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and His Majesty’s Correctional Services, pursuant to the grievances raised by the officers emanating from the implementation of Phase I on the restructuring of strategic levels in terms of Circular No. 1 of 2014.
Royal Eswatini Police Service Staff Association (REPOSA) Secretary General Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo confirmed that the four per cent started reflecting into their accounts this month.
Khumalo said they were not happy with the cushion as the money was not enough. She said as officers they would meet to discuss a way forward as they were waiting for the adjustment to be implemented before they could act.
Khumalo stated that they would lobby public sector unions as they were all affected by the salary restructuring process. She said as officers they wanted the Phase II salary restructuring to be implemented as promised.
According to Khumalo, they will not rest until they enjoy the benefits of Phase II as they have waited for too long time for its implementation.
The implementation of the four per cent cushion follows unprecedented events as the junior officers marched to the Cabinet offices to deliver petitions to the ministry of public service, ministry of justice and constitutional affairs as well as the prime minister’s office, demanding that government should fast track the implementation of Phase II of the salary restructuring exercise.
These events led to 21 REPS being hauled to a disciplinary hearing for contravening Section 49(i) (g) and Section 59 (i)(d)(ii) of the Police Act, 2018.
The officers were firstly ordered to show cause why they should not be interdicted from duty in terms of Section 43 of the Police Service Act No.22 of 2018, in accordance to the rules of Natural Justice and Section 33 of the country’s Constitution.
They made oral submissions in front of the REPS top brass, which were forwarded with recommendations for reconsideration.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Sipho Tsabedze, when issuing the Circular Number 5 OF 2022, stated that errors and anomalies may occur, and heads of department were requested to report the errors or anomalies that may be a result of this circular.
“No officer will be deprived of an advantage to which he/she is entitled, nor will any officer be allowed to gain advantage to which he/she is not entitled as a result of an unintentional mistake, whether the mistake transpires in this circular or in the process of its implementation,” Tsabedze said.
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