BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE– Twelve months!
This is the maximum amount of time that the Eswatini Government will be engaging with consultants who will be assisting in the restructuring of salaries of junior officers of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS).
This is according to Government Spokesperson Alpheus Nxumalo, who was live on ‘Letishisako’ on Eswatini Broadcast and Information Service (EBIS) this morning.
Worth noting is that currently, junior police officers and warders, through the REPS Staff Association and HMCS Staff Association, are currently negotiating salary restructuring with Eswatini Government.
“Eswatini Government has brought in consultants to assist on the matter,” said Nxumalo live on air.
Nxumalo said this exercise was going to be carried out by the Ministry of Public Service. He did not reveal the consultant’s name/identity.
When asked how long the consultants would be working with government with regards to the above mentioned issue, the Government Spokesperson said not more than 12 months.
“It is generally known that consultants do not come cheap. We will work with them for not longer than 12 months. It may be even a way shorter period than that,” said Nxumalo.
Meanwhile, last Thursday, Members of Parliament (MPs), advised government to make the junior security officers’ Phase II implementation its first item on its list of priorities.
His Excellency Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Dlamini addressed the issue of salary restructuring for junior officers in the security forces on the same day.
He said government was aware of the concerns, hence the manner in which an earlier restructuring exercise was carried out.
