By EPN Reporter
MBABANE – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has promised to respond to the housing needs of the police officers in the country.
Dlamini made this promise today when he met the police during the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) annual Conference for Senior Police Officers and Civilian Support Staff in Matsapha. The premier said he would do this in the spirit of ‘Nkwe’ as His Majesty King Mswati III commanded during Sibaya.
“As per His Majesty’s call at Sibaya for all us to adopt the spirit of “nkwe” in our work, I assured the REPS that Government will respond to their needs, including housing and equipment issues, to ensure that they can effectively serve Emaswati,” Dlamini said.
The premier reminded the police officers of their duty to serve Emaswati with integrity and their role in safeguarding the nation’s safety and security. He urged the police to ensure that all residents of Eswatini were able lead their lives without fear of crime, or losing their investments to the ravages of crime.
According to Dlamini, growing the country’s economy required solid systems of facilitating safety and security to be in place in order to convince both local and foreign investors that there would be sustainable returns on their investments.
He further charged the REPS to constantly review its policing strategies in order to respond to the ever evolving safety and security needs of the nation, including a rise in crimes of violence such as Homicides, Gender Based Violence and Femicides, including the related scourge of sexual violation of women and children.
The premier lauded the REPS for establishing its own Anti-Corruption Unit to deal with corruption. “Corruption has no place within the Police or anywhere else in Eswatini and we must all work together to eliminate it,” he said.
The premier also noted that REPS had developed a new Media Communication Policy which he also had the honour of launching. “This Policy will ensure that there is efficiency and structure in how the police communicate with the public and I congratulate the REPS for developing it,” he said. In response, Acting National Police Commissioner (NatCom) Lydia Dlamini said there were many problems they faced as they performed their duties. She told the Prime Minister that they did not have vehicles and other working tools, but they tried by all means to get the job done, as they had an obligation to do so. The police chief also highlighted to the premier that crime rate increased in 2023, when compared with 2022.
