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JUNIOR COPS, WARDERS PLAN GO-SLOW

20/09/2021 08:39:00 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

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MANZINI - Since 2014, they have been waiting for the implementation of the salary restructuring exercise and now some of them seem to have become impatient and want to use the political unrest in the country to coerce government to give in to their demands.

This is what is happening to junior police officers and warders, who are now planning to take advantage of the political unrest by staging a go-slow, where according to their plan, they would report for work, but deliberately slack in duty or service. Police officers are under the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), while warders are employed by the department of His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS). The restructuring exercise was announced in July 2014 by the Ministry of Public Service and it did so by issuing Circular No.2 of 2014, which outlined the format that the restructuring would take. The exercise was supposed to be in two phases; with senior officers being the first in line and then followed by the juniors. However, until now, only the first phase was implemented and the junior officers are still waiting for the implementation of the second phase, which they widely refer to as Phase II.

Aggrieved

The aggrieved junior officers, who had been raising the issue with the two security forces’ management over the past seven years, said they had resolved to engage another gear as the roundtable had not yielded the desired results. They said they had been made aware that when the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, William Tsitsibala Dlamini and HMCS Commissioner General (COMGEN), Phindile Dlamini were appointed to the positions in 2019, they allegedly made this matter a priority and management of the two security forces discussed it. As a result of their alleged discussion, the aggrieved officers claimed that a select committee was appointed and given a task to look into the matter and how it could be best addressed. Thereafter, they claimed that they had been making follow-ups with the relevant structures within the organisation, but had not been getting concrete feedback. According to their claims, they were constantly told that there was a committee which was working on the matter.

Later on, sources within HMSC alleged that information which circulated within their departments was to the effect that the committee’s report said there was no Phase II of the salary restructuring of 2014. However, they said there was no explanation given as to why there would be no Phase II, which they were promised seven years ago.

Demand

Therefore, the officers said they demanded what they were promised in 2014. They argued that the delay in the implementation of Phase II made a huge gap between their salaries and those of the senior officers. On the other hand, insiders within the police service claimed that their superiors told them that they were working on the matter and that they were positive that eventually, Phase II would be implemented. However, they said they were not given any time frame. Thereafter, they said they had been patient for a long time and it was time to demand what belonged to them. They said they were tired of listening to promises, thus they wanted the organisation to live up to its promise. “We want the money,” they said.

On the other hand, HMCS Public Relations Officer (PRO) Senior Superintendent Gugulethu Dlamini confirmed that there was a select committee that was tasked to look into the matter. She said even though the report of the select committee was submitted to the relevant bodies in government, the long and short of it was that there was no Phase II. When she was asked if the matter was put on hold because of financial challenges faced by government, she said she could not say that, but mentioned that what was on the table was that there would be no Phase II. Thereafter, she said as a department, they understood that everybody needed money during these trying times and on behalf of the organisation, she asked the aggrieved officers to be patient. When questioned further about the reason why there would be no Phase II, she said the report was submitted to government.

Meanwhile, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said if the people who were behind the move to stage a go-slow were police officers, it meant that they were not in the force by calling. However, she mentioned that as a police force, they did not believe that the people behind the planned move were police officer. She said according to their analysis, there were people who wanted to tarnish the image of the officers. She said the NATCOM understood the position of the aggrieved officers, but on behalf of the organisation, she asked them not to deviate from what they swore to. She said someone who was a police officer was one who had a calling and they believed he/she could not deviate from what he/she swore to.

Negotiations

Worth noting is that police officers and officers from HMCS depended on public sector associations (PSAs) negotiations for salary increment and as such, they received around 14 per cent increment during the 2016 salary review. Ours sister publication, the Times Sunday, reported that the salary restructuring process of 2014, saw the salary scale of the senior superintendents hiked by four per cent; those promoted from senior superintendent to assistant commissioner realised a pay increase of 22.5 per cent; the six who were moved from the position of assistant commissioner to the newly-created rank of senior assistant commissioner realised a pay rise of about 8.99 per cent; the four deputy commissioners whose rank was reviewed to that of deputy national commissioner had their pay increased by 5.9 per cent; and the national commissioner had his salary increased by 9.99 per cent.

The restructuring resulted in the number of senior police officers (between senior superintendent to national commissioner) increasing from 37 to 53. According to our sister publication, what was happening at the REPS was also taking place at the HMCS, where the same salary increment and grading was being implemented. At the HMCS, the number of superintendents was increased by eight, from 15 to 23; assistant commissioners went from 10 to 18; four officers were appointed into the newly-created rank of senior assistant commissioner; the rank of deputy commissioner was reviewed to that of deputy commissioner general; and that of the commissioner was reviewed to commissioner general. This led to the number of senior officers (between senior superintendent and commissioner general) increasing by 20, from 29 to 49.

Also, for both the REPS and HMCS, the number of senior officers was increased even further and their salaries were also hiked to the current pay structure. For the REPS, the number of senior officers further increased by 22, from the 53 recommended in the 2014 restructuring to the current 93 officers as reflected in the Government Establishment Register for the 2020/2021 financial year.

Increase

The second increase in the number of senior REPS officers saw the complement of senior superintendents rising by 15, from 26 to 41; followed by the creation of the rank of assistant commissioner, which has 18 officers occupying it; there was then the creation of the rank of senior assistant commissioner, which had 13 officers appointed to it. There was also a creation of a new rank referred to as assistant national commissioner, which had six officers appointed to it; the number of officers occupying the rank of deputy national commissioner was increased by six, from four to 10; an additional rank of senior deputy national commissioner was also created and four officers were appointed to it; and then the national commissioner completes the senior ranked police officers.

At the HMCS, the number of senior officers has been increased by a further 32 officers, from 49 to 77. The number of senior superintendents was increased by two, from 23 to 25; assistant commissioners were increased by five, from 18 to 23; senior assistant commissioners were increased by six, from four to 10. There was then the creation of a new rank known as chief assistant commissioner, into which eight officers were appointed; deputy commissioner generals were doubled from three to six officers. A new rank of commissioner was also created and four officers were appointed to it; and the commissioner general completes the list.

Remunerated

The national commissioner and commissioner general earn about E53 226.75 a month (E638 721 a year); senior deputy national commissioners are paid E50 692.08 a month (E608 305 annually); deputy national commissioners earn E48 388 a month (E580 656 annually); assistant national commissioners are each remunerated at E44 953.66 a month (E539 444 a year); senior assistant commissioners are each paid a monthly salary of E43 512.42 (E522 149 annually); and assistant commissioners are each paid a monthly salary of E39 919.75 (E479 037 a year).