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Percy misled Nation

13/02/2013 00:00:00 MAQHAWE NXUMALO

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MBABANE – Government Press Secretary, Percy Simelane, misled the nation when he said the country actually needed more police officers.

Simelane said the internationally accepted ratio of police officers in relation to the population should be one officer to 400 citizens.

He said the country currently had a negative imbalance in that there was one officer for every 700 citizens.

Simelane was responding to questions from this publication about the conclusions of experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who advised government to consider extending the Enhanced Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme (EVERS) to security forces.

Security forces consist of the Royal Swaziland Police, Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force and His Majesty’s Correctional Services Department.

Simelane said government would not heed the advice of the experts as it felt the country actually needed more police officers than it currently had.

Times investigations have, however, found that the figures that were bandied about by the government spin doctor were inaccurate.

According to the 2012/2013 Establishment Register from the Ministry of Public Service, the country has 4 329 police officers.

The Times is in possession of the list of all police officers.

Data from the Central Statistic Office (CSO) for the year 2012/2013 places the population of the country at 1 055 506.

Based on these figures, the ratio of police officers to citizens is one officer to 244 citizens.

This is below the internationally accepted standard.

According to these figures, the police service is overstaffed by 1 690 officers, which would mean that this is the maximum number of police officers who would be offered the option of EVERS if government were to extend the scheme to the security forces.

When confronted with these figures, Simelane refused to admit that he misled the nation.

"I asked the relevant people and I was given the information I forwarded to you," Simelane said.

He then asked where the Times had sourced its data from and was told that it came from government’s Public Service Establishment Register and the CSO.

"Unfortunately, I did not ‘ask’ this register you are quoting but the bottom line is I asked and I was given a response," he said.

The government spokesperson refused to reveal which government department or document he consulted to get his figures.

When pressed on whether he intentionally misled the nation, Simelane insisted that he had enquired after receiving a questionnaire from the Times and was given the response he forwarded so he believes he did not mislead the nation.

When sought for comment last night on the figures that the police service itself has, Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Wendy Hleta, requested to be given time to check the official data today.

Overstaffed police service ‘affects development’

MBABANE – The National Association of Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) feels that the police service is overstaffed to the detriment of other key development areas within the civil service.

The Secretary General, Vincent Dlamini, said the many posts in the police service could be better used in other areas.

"If you go to any government hospital or clinic, you will be told that there are two nurses who have to attend to hundreds of patients per day.

"In some places you are told that a doctor only comes in once a week. These are areas where the manpower is really needed," Dlamini said.

The trade unionist said the police service had too many officers such that some of them are now doing jobs which should be left to the private sector.

He said escorting money for banking institutions should be carried out by private security companies and not the police.

The debate on the size of the police service joins another contentious issue of the country’s huge military budget. According to the CIA World Factbook, Swaziland’s military spending stands at 4.7 per cent GDP, making it the 18th highest in the world.

In 2011, the same CIA Factbook ranked the country 11th in the world and third in Africa in terms of military spending.

These rankings have all been based on a 2006 statistic but the Factbook was last updated on February 5, 2013.

COMMENTS:

- Dear Editor. Please publish my letter. We should not be all that surprised that Percy misled the nation on the acceptable ratios for security forces (Percy Misled Nation, 13th Feb, 2013). We shouldn't assume he didn't know the truth before expressing that statement either. Percy's attitude of glossing over the truth and his propensity to misinform the nation represents that of his handlers. If you would revisit his statements on the attempted theft of crown land and the purported purchase of a slick vehicle for himself by a "development partner", you would see that the truth is not particularly this government's stock-in-trade or strength. But do we have to shoot the messenger for a false message or shoot the message itself by an equally wrong messenger? Either way government comes out NOT smelling like red roses or blue violets. That makes a mockery of Valentine whose bow and arrow always takes aim at the source of this nonsense -- the 'heart'!
February 13, 2013, 4:00 pm, Keep Exhaling

- My child asked me a 'trick question' the other day if one can tell when a politician is about to tell a lie? As expected I said I don't know. "Whenever he opens his mouth!", the child retorted. I laughed my lungs out at the joke. After reading Percy's misleading the nation again, maybe I shouldn't have laughed, neither should I have taken my child's statement as a joke. All in all this is pathetic because if we can't trust our politicians to tell a simple truth then who should we trust?
February 13, 2013, 4:00 pm, Angry Swazi Patriot

- Imagine, the government spindoctor can't even give verified information to the public. He should tell where he got those figures. Wonder how long we have been misled by this man. Akaye ekhaya!
February 13, 2013, 4:00 pm, Mphile

- its sad that such a small country could be ranked 18th in the whole world on military spending. ..
February 13, 2013, 4:00 pm, Hills

- i wonder where this country is heading to. why would such an old man lie to the entire nation? he has just jeopardised his trust
February 13, 2013, 4:00 pm, Beth

- Simelane is not called spin doctor for fun's sake. He's spinning the tales. This is why we need a literate & numerate nation to do the simple math quickly & serve bo Percy the blushes they deserve. Shame on him.
February 13, 2013, 4:00 pm, Sikelela Dlamini