MP QUESTIONS HIRING OF ‘NON-QUALIFIED’ ATHLETES

MBABANE – Being gifted in sports does not qualify one to be automatically hired in the country’s security forces.

This is a submission that was made by Lugongolweni Member of Parliament (MP) Enos Magagula in Parliament on Tuesday during the move to adopt the report of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Portfolio Committee on the Correctional Services Regulations. Magagula referred the legislators to one of the interventions made by MPs during the submissions on the legislation, which came in the form of a question.  The question begged an answer on what was the government’s position on officers who were strictly employed for their sporting abilities rather than their qualifications. A response to that query, as detailed in the report of the ministry, was that what was of great importance was that officers must always exercise to stay healthy and fit as their job entailed same.

Section 193 (1) of the Correctional Services Regulations, 2022 which were adopted in Parliament on Tuesday, state that an officer in charge, head of office or head of work shall, taking into consideration the Correction Services Sports Policy, give officers and staff members under their command, the opportunity to participate in all forms of sports on such conditions as the commissioner general may determine. However, Magagula was of the view that not all persons should be employed as a Correctional Services officer just because they were athletes or they were gifted in football.  He challenged the ministry, through the portfolio committee Chairman and Kwaluseni MP Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini, to justify why athletes got automatic employment for their excellence in sports when their suitability or qualifications did not meet the requirements of the institution.

However, there was no immediate response to his query as Dlamini had limited time on the day to respond to all the questions that were posed by the MPs with regards to the regulations. Worth mentioning is that most athletes, including footballers, who join the security forces teams, end up working for the uniformed forces.

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