Salaries of highest paid civil servants revealed
MBABANE – Who are the country’s best paid government officials and how much are they paid?
National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police William Dlamini, Commissioner General (COMGEN) of His Majesty’s Correctional Services Phindile Dlamini, Secretary to Cabinet Victor Nxumalo and Auditor General Timothy Matsebula are the highest paid civil servants.
The NATCOM and COMGEN are both remunerated at E54 823.50 a month, which translates to E657 882 a year.
Nxumalo and Matsebula, on the other hand, are paid a monthly salary of E54 599.25, which adds up to E655 191 annually.
These salaries are contained in the Government Establishment Register for the 2023/2024 financial year.
The salary scales came into effect on April 1, 2022 after the passing of Establishment Circular No.1 of 2022 on the Cost of Living Adjustment (CoLA) for the 2022/2023 financial year.
This was subsequent to the conclusion of negotiations between the Government Negotiations Team (GNT) and the Eswatini Principals Association on the rate of CoLA.
APPROVED
Government approved an increment of three per cent of monthly basic salary for the bargaining unit, officers who fall under the category of staff, and non-unionised for the CoLA plus a once-off payment of one per cent of annual basic salary.
Before the increment, the NATCOM and COMGEN were paid E53 226.75 a month or E638 721 a year.
The secretary to cabinet and auditor general, who are on F5 Grade, were paid E53 008.92 a month, which was E636 107 a year.
There are only two civil servants (secretary to cabinet and auditor general) who hold the F5 Grade.
Next on the list of highest paid civil servants are eight senior police and His Majesty’s Correctional Services; these being four senior deputy national commissioners and four commissioners respectively.
These senior officers are paid E54 823.50 a month or E657 882 a year, which increased from E53 226.75 a month or E638 721 a year after the CoLA.
Next on the list of top earners are 24 officials who hold the F4 Grade and they include principal secretaries as well as the Clerk to Parliament, Benedict Xaba.
INCREMENT
Xaba and the principal secretaries are paid a monthly salary of E51 872 or E622 468 annually, but before the three per cent increment was effected they earned E50 361.50 a month or E604 338 a year.
Below these are the officials on F3 Grade, who include ambassadors or high commissioners, Accountant General Samuel Mbingo, Government Press Secretary Alpheous Nxumalo, Supreme Court Registrar (presently held by Siphiwo Masuku on an acting basis), the chief professional officer under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and some directors of government departments (director of land affairs in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy and the director of Statistics in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development).
These officials under the F3 Grade, who are 67 in total, are paid E50 361.42 a month or E604 337 a year, which increased from a previous pay of E48 894.58 a month or E586 735 a year.
Police and correctional services senior officials again feature, with the deputy national commissioners and deputy commissioners general (there are 10 and six officers holding these ranks respectively).
They are paid a monthly salary of E49 839.83 a month or E598 076 a year.
After them are six assistant national commissioners and eight chief assistant commissioners, who are paid a monthly salary of E46 302.25 or E555 627 annually.
Next are 12 senior assistant commissioners and 10 senior assistant commissioners in the police and HMCS respectively, who earn a monthly salary of E44 817.83 or E537 814 a year.
There are then 61 officials who fall under the F2 Grade and they include under secretaries, the deputy clerk to parliament, regional secretaries, the general transport manager of the Central Transport Administration (CTA), the deputy auditor general, and some directors of government departments (such as the director of SADC under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development.
NOTCHES
The pay scale for officials under F2 Grade are paid according to notches; with the lowest notch at E43 226.08 a month or E518 713 a year; and the highest notch is at E44 522.92 a month or E534 275 annually.
Subsequent to the F2 Grade, officials under the F1 Grade include Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini’s personal assistant, head of secretariat (Human Trafficking Unit), counsellors in embassies or high commissions, the registrar of the High Court, the registrar of the industrial court of appeal, the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court, the chief environmental coordinator (Ministry of Tourism), director tourism, director social welfare, director child coordinating unit, the chief fire officer, the commissioner for cooperative development and the chief transport coordinator (Ministry of Public Works and Transport).
In total, there are 56 government officials under the F1 Grade and they are remunerated according to their notches; with the highest notch paid at E41 745.33 a month or E500 944 a year; and the lowest notch at E36 754.58 a month or E601 331 a year.
And then there are 18 assistant commissioners and 22 assistant commissioners in the police and HMCS respectively, who are paid E41 117.33 a month or E493 408 annually. There are also senior superintendents (41 from the police and 25 from HMCS), who are paid E38 098.50 a month or E457 182 a year.