General

MANZINI – Government has agreed to implement Scenario III of the salary review report, costing about E1.643 billion, but has tabled E500 million for Phase I implementation.

This was revealed by the Public Sector Unions (PSUs) Secretariat through Phumzile Masilela, Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP), during the civil servants’ mass meeting. The meeting was convened by the PSUs at the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Centre yesterday.

The secretariat said following the delivery of the salary review’s final report on Monday, September 29, 2025, they met with the Government Negotiation Team (GNT) on Friday to discuss the report. It highlighted that the consultant had recommended that government implement Scenario III of the salary review report, whose cost would be about E1.643 billion, including back pay to April 1, 2025 and allowances.

The secretariat said at the round table, the GNT informed them that government, through Cabinet, had agreed to implement Scenario III as per the consultant’s recommendation.

“However, the GNT said for now, government has E500 million. It stated that government requests to give them the E500 million for now and then pay the rest – the second payment – next financial year,” the secretariat said.

It also stated that, according to the consultant, after conducting the job profiling exercise under this scenario, workers would receive increments varying between zero per cent and 44 per cent. Workers paid using Grade A1 would get an eight per cent pay rise, while those under A2, A3 and B5 would receive zero per cent.

The consultant recommended that those under B1, B2, B3 and B4 should get a four per cent salary increment. Civil servants paid using Grade C1 and C2 should get a 30 per cent salary increase, while salaries of those under C3, C4 and C5 should be increased by 24 per cent, 16 per cent and eight per cent, respectively.

The consultant recommended that public service workers paid under D1 should get a 38 per cent pay rise, 34 per cent for those under D2 and 31 per cent for those who fall under D3.

“The consultant also recommended that salaries for civil servants under D4 and D5 should be increased by 26 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively,” the secretariat added.

Furthermore, the consultant’s recommendation is that those who are paid using E1 should have their salaries increased by 44 per cent, 39 per cent for those under E2 and 34 per cent for those paid under E3. Meanwhile, those under E4 and E5 should get 13 per cent and 10 per cent salary increments.

“We were told that we should not consider the recommended increase for those paid using Grade F,” the Secretariat added.

Also, the secretariat said after the GNT tabled the E500 million offer, talks stalled as they believe the amount was too small to be regarded as an offer, particularly against a cost of E1.643 billion.

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PSUs give government ultimatum

MANZINI – If negotiations are not concluded tomorrow, PSUs will push for blocked negotiations and an extension of the civil servants’ payroll processing.

This move was adopted after Simangele Mtetwa from SNAT, suggested that at this time, PSUs should engage in blocked negotiations until an agreement is reached, instead of having one meeting per week. 

She clarified that by blocked negotiations, she meant they should meet at the round table every day until a collective agreement is signed.

Mtetwa also suggested that the PSUs leaders should ask for an extension regarding the payroll processing date for civil servants. In her suggestion, she said the payroll should only be run once the PSUs and government have signed a collective agreement.

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Civil servants resolve to join leaders at JNF signing

MANZINI – Civil servants have rejected the E500 million offer and proposed phased implementation.

Instead, they resolved to accompany their leaders to the Joint Negotiation Forum (JNF) tomorrow to sign a collective agreement.

Clifford Mhlungu, one of the civil servants, stated that since government claims to only have E500 million, this means there is no actual salary review. He suggested that they should accompany their leaders to the JNF tomorrow.

Others who made submissions said the E500 million issue dates back to February 2025, when the Minister for Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, announced that government would set aside E500 million for the salary review. This occurred when the minister was delivering his budget speech for the 2025/26 financial year.

They said the leaders of the PSUs made it clear to government that this amount was insufficient to cover the salary review. In response, the administration stated that the amount was not a budget for the salary review exercise, but a commitment fee to demonstrate government’s dedication to implementing it.

“Again, the administration also said once the salary review has been conducted, government will find sources for the money to fund the implementation of the exercise. Government even stated that it could also get money from the Consolidated Fund,” argued one of the civil servants.

Another suggested that the PSUs leaders should advise government to secure a loan to fully fund the implementation of the salary review report.

“Our government is used to running the country through loans,” the civil servant added.

Additionally, others suggested that the unions’ leaders should tell the GNT that government could also secure a supplementary budget to fund the implementation of the salary review report.

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Some suggest visiting PM

MANZINI – Some civil servants suggested that they should visit the Prime Minister’s (PM’s) Office before going to the Ministry of Public Service.

They argued that junior officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service and His Majesty’s Correctional Services finally received their Phase II after visiting former PM Cleopas Dlamini’s home and Cabinet.

However, when reading the consolidated submissions, SNAT Deputy Secretary General Mxolisi Ngcamphalala, said this suggestion would be looked into as they continue to deliberate on tomorrow’s logistics and members would be updated in due course.

*Full article available in our publication.

Some of the civil servants who attended the mass meeting of the salary review singing a song titled ‘Senzeni Na’.

Civil servants, who are members of the PSUs toy toying during their mass meeting yesterday.

SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati, stressing a point during the mass meeting.

SNAT Deputy Secretary General Mxolisi Ngcamphalala, reading the consolidated submissions during the mass meeting.