Labour

MBABANE – Civil servants will get their 85 per cent from the salary review (dvuladvula) in two months and followed by notching in April next year.

This follows that the Government Negotiation Team (GNT), which negotiates for the employer (government), was informed by its principals (Cabinet) that it cannot afford to pay the outstanding 85 per cent from the salary review and also implement notch II, along with allowances reviewed upwards with over 50 per cent.

Yesterday, the GNT and public sector unions (PSUs) sat in the Joint Negotiation Forum (JNF) met for negotiations on notching. Notching means moving to the next level of remuneration within their grade.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, who doubles as the Chairperson of the JNF, Mthunzi Shabangu, confirmed the sitting of the JNF and that notching will be reviewed next April.

Shabangu said the reasoning for this was that in this financial year, the employer was committed to implementing the second part of the salary review, which is the outstanding 85 per cent.

It is worth noting that when the employer of civil servants and PSUs, when signing a collective agreement on October 15, 2025, agreed that they were to get 15 per cent of their dues.

The collective agreement states that the staggered implementation of the salary review costs about E800 million out of the amount of E1.643 billion that is required for full implementation of Scenario III of the salary review report, leaving out a balance of E843 million.

The E843 million excludes the salary review of State security agencies (His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS), Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF)) and politicians who consist of parliamentarians along with members of emabandla (Boards and commissions).

As per this commitment, Minister for Finance Neal Rijkneberg, in his budget speech, said: “Speaker, in the 2026/27 financial year, public servants’ wage bill is budgeted to reach E12.44 billion, compared to E10.48 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. In this budget, E635.35 million has been set aside for the 85 per cent backpay and E535.28 million for allowances to complete the 2025/26 salary review implementation.”

The collective agreement was signed on October 15, 2025, by the GNT with the PSUs, namely: National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Democratic Nursing Union (SWADNU) and Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP).

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Union members dancing outside the Ministry of Public Service yesterday.

Swaziland National Association of Teachers President, Mbongwa Dlamini. (Pic: Mlondzi Nkambule)

Swaziland National Association of Teachers Secretary General Lot Vilakati addressing the union members yesterday at the ministry. He mentioned that action needs to be taken to adress the stand-off with government. (Pic: Mlondzi Nkambule)