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SERVICE FIREARMS TAKEN FROM SOME JUNIOR COPS

18/10/2022 08:56:00 Sithembile Hlatshwayo

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MBABANE – Service firearms have been taken away from some of the junior officers who participated in the recent march.

It has been gathered that a strict order was issued by the authorities that the junior officers should surrender the service firearms. Last Tuesday, some junior police and His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) officers marched to deliver petitions to Cabinet Offices and other ministries. According to the source, they were purportedly told that they would not be allowed to keep with them the firearms, like it was the case with some of their colleagues. Some of the officers who were dispossessed of the firearms, were stationed at the Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) and other stations. It could not be ascertained how many of the officers had their firearms taken away but at the time of going to print, three officers had confirmed their firearms had been taken.

Dispossessing

Following the allegations of dispossessing the firearms, a comment was sought from the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, who said; “I am not aware of the issue.” Vilakati stated that she could not discuss issues of national security with the media. Yesterday, about 16 junior police officers, who were part of the petition delivery, were summoned and cautioned by a senior officer. The officers, who were led by their station commanders, had to wait for over three hours before they were addressed by the senior officer. Initially, the officers who represented all stations around the country expected to be addressed at 10am and arrived in time but only to be attended to at 1:10pm.
This comes after hardly a week after junior officers participated in a petition delivery to the Cabinet Offices, where three other ministries were served. These include the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

Aggrieved

The junior officers are aggrieved over a protracted salary restructuring exercise, which saw their leaders getting an increment following the implementation of Circular No.2 of 2014.
The circular was in two phases; I and II but only phase I was implemented. Phase II was to be implemented subsequently. However, that never happened to date, it is now the eighth year without the implementation of phase II. The junior officers stated that as a result of the none-implementation of phase II, they were hungry and could no longer work, hence the appeal to the Minister of Police, Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini. The Police Staff Association Secretary General, Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo, who was leading the junior officers during the petition delivery, said they anticipated a formal response from Cabinet and if not, they would be back today.

In an interview with some of the junior officers who attended yesterday’s meeting with the senior officer, they confirmed that they were cautioned for their participation in the petition delivery last week. They also mentioned that the senior officer told them that they would receive a communiqué from Cabinet, addressing their petition before the end of business yesterday. The junior officers stated that the high-ranking officer reminded them of the Police Act, Section 50 (1) and (2), adding that what they had done was criminal.

Involvement

The officers stated that they were told to return to their various stations and warn others. They further noted that the officer stated that they already had a charge against them for their involvement in the petition delivery. According to the officers, they were told that if they participated in a similar activity today, as per their threat to fetch responses at the Cabinet Offices, another charge would be added. The officers stated that they questioned the senior officer why they failed to engage with the Police Staff Association executive following the petition delivery in order to have something substantive before the date of fetching the responses. In response, they said they were informed to hold their horses as government was preparing something. Indeed, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg had assured that government was doing something for the junior police officers and warders. When reached for comment, President of the Police Staff Association, Sergeant Isaac ‘Kaira’ Lukhele, said they received a report from the junior officers about the caution.

Responses

Lukhele stated that they were awaiting the communiqué from Cabinet and if it was not received, they would plan on a way forward regarding the issue of the responses. “It is the communiqué that will guide us on the next move,” said the president. The president said as a disciplined force, they were used to cautions but it would not stop them from demanding what rightfully belonged to them. Lukhele stated that Section 67(2) of the Police Act that addressed issues of the staff association, mentioned that eligible members of the association were officers who were below the rank of assistant national commissioner. “This by extension means all officers are members according to the Act,” he explained.

Lukhele said they would consider what happened when others were cautioned and others not. He said they were also looking into issues of defence to the SG Sergeant Khumalo matter, who had been served with a ‘show course letter’. When sought for comment on the matter; Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Vilakati said they were aware and had interest in the matter. Vilakati said the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, William Tsitsibala Dlamini, was working on the matter and would communicate in due course.