From2016appeals
Officers who are in these grades and their positions were re-graded, include cooperative officers and cooperative auditors under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade. Their positions were said to have been reviewed due to the scope of work and nature of their jobs.
Also in this grade are labour inspectors, assistant human resources officers, and estate accounts examiner, clerk of court /interpreter and estate officer.
Civil servants made their feelings known in various platforms, with some contacting this publication to express their displeasure in the re-graded posts.
Their reaction was subsequent to the publication of some of the grades which have been reviewed upwards following about 145 appeals which were submitted by the PSUs on behalf their members.
The report, which came almost seven years after the salary review was effected, was presented to the four PSUs last month. In 2016, when the salary review report was effected, there were eight grades which SNAT appealed against. The teachers union bemoaned that their members in these grades were made worse-off.
These grades are: B2 Notch 1 which is that of PTD holders. There was also was an appeal against grade C2 Notch 5, which is held by holders of primary teachers’ certificates. Another grade is C3 Notch 1, which is held by teachers who have STDs, PTDs and BA in Humanities.
Another grade that was appealed against was C4 Notch 1 and also C5 Notch 1. Despite this, these grades did not form part of the report as they were not listed in the report. dramatic chase at Emsindza, where the suspects were eventually caught.
Though most of the crimes were committed round Pigg’s Peak, sources alleged that it was not the small town’s officers who were at the forefront in the dramatic chase and shootout, but those from Mbabane.
“The suspects were fleeing towards Mbabane when the chase and shooting with the police occurred. The shot and killed suspect is from Maloma in the southern Lubombo Region,” confided a source.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed that there was a shootout between three suspects and the police on Sunday, where one of the suspects ‘was injured with gunshots wounds and died while undergoing treatment at the Dvokolwako Health Centre,’ where he had been rushed to after being injured.
“It is unfortunate that one of the suspect succumbed to gunshots wounds while undergoing treatment in hospital. Two guns and two bullets were found in the vehicle in which the suspects were travelling,” she said. Vilakati said the suspects
were connected to a string of armed robbery cases around the area, which irked the community that ended up being involved in the chase and apprehension of the other suspect.
“As members of the REPS, we want to sincerely extend our appreciation to the members of the public for their assistance because they risked their lives to help the police. They used their own resources. Taxi drivers also used their vehicles to chase after the suspects. We are grateful for their help, it was unfortunate that one of the suspects eventually died,” said Vilakati. She added that the police were still examining the two pistols found in the suspects’possession and could not yet link the weapons with or to anyone, pending finalisation of forensic analysis.
Shootout
Meawhile, in a similar incident, this publication reported last month, that a 29-year-old man, who was a person of interest to the police, died during a shootout between the law enforcers and a group of suspects. The incident occurred at Mahwalala, which is a township situated 7.6 kilometres away from the capital city, Mbabane. This incident occurred on a Sunday, around 9pm. The deceased was said to have been part of about 14 men who were wanted by the police in connection with cases of assault and theft of a firearm.
According to an impeccable source, the suspects assaulted three men from the area and the victims of the assault sought the help of a relative, who was believed to be a member of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), to help them in locating the suspects.
The purpose of locating the suspects, as was revealed by the source, was to avenge the assault of his relatives, but he too (soldier) was assaulted and the suspects disarmed him and left with his firearm.
The police, at the time, confirmed the assault of the three men from Mahwalala and the theft of the firearm. Vilakati said police officers went to Mahwalala on that Sunday evening in search for the suspects and they got information on their whereabouts. She said after locating the suspects, a shootout ensued and one of them was shot dead.