- Security officers to also be included in Salary Review Payouts (dvuladvula)
- Govt to spend E228 million in security officers payouts
BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Public security officers in Eswatini are set to benefit not once, but twice, from Government’s ongoing efforts to improve pay across the civil service.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Mthunzi Shabangu, confirmed on 14 August 2025 that officers who recently received increases under the Phase II salary adjustments will also be included in the nationwide salary review currently underway.
“All civil servants, including those who have already benefited from the Phase II adjustments, are expected to be part of the salary review process,” Shabangu told journalists.
The Phase II adjustments, years in the making, trace their origins back to 2010. They were specifically designed to address long-standing disparities for public security officers. At the time, a comprehensive salary review had not yet been considered.
Now, the ongoing review, undertaken by consultants engaged by the Ministry of Public Service, will ensure that these officers are not excluded. The consultants were originally given 12 months to complete their work following their appointment in June 2024, but the deadline was extended by six weeks beyond June 2025.
Public sector unions have been closely monitoring the process, with Government having been given a firm six-week timeline to conclude the review earlier this year.
Under Phase II, about 13 199 officers are receiving a 3% salary increase, costing Government approximately E171 million per year. An additional 952 officers are receiving a once-off 8% adjustment, costing around E57 million per year.
The agreement includes:
- Alignment of remuneration for Inspectors/Chief Officers, Assistant Superintendents, and Superintendents, with an 8% retrospective once-off back-pay for up to 24 months.
- A 3% basic salary increment for Assistant Inspectors/Assistant Chief Officers, Sergeant Instructors, Constables, and Warders/Wardresses, also with up to 24 months’ back-pay.
The effective date for these adjustments is September 2025.
For the country’s security officers, the news signals a rare double benefit, a long-awaited correction of past pay gaps alongside the promise of further improvements under the civil service-wide salary review.
(Pic: EBIS News)
