Government has assured civil servants that errors made during the October salary review bumper pay will be rectified in the upcoming November salaries.
This commitment was made during a meeting at the ministry of public service yesterday, where leaders of public sector unions (PSUs) engaged with the government negotiations team (GNT) at the joint negotiations forum (JNF).
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The meeting focused on the implementation of the 2025 salary review exercise, which has faced significant criticism over its handling. Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Secretary General Mayibongwe Masangane, on behalf of the unions, explained that the purpose of the forum was to address grievances regarding the salary payments that some civil servants received. According to Masangane, the salary adjustments were not in line with the establishment circular and the final report from the salary review consultants.
Some employees received salaries based on the old payscale, others were underpaid and a few were overpaid. “We had a fruitful meeting and they promised that civil servants’ November salaries will be without errors,” said Masangane. He further clarified that the meeting provided an opportunity to raise their concerns, with government now committed to resolving the issues in time for the next payment cycle. Masangane also mentioned that civil servants were instructed to submit their individual salary appeals to their respective ministries.
These ministries, he explained, would forward the concerns to the relevant departments for further action. This process is expected to ensure that all grievances are addressed appropriately. The confusion surrounding the salary review process, particularly with the ‘Dvuladvula’ salary calculations, arose due to errors in the taxation of some civil servants’ October salaries.
RELATED: ‘Dvuladvula’ confusion: Unions slam lack of transparency in salary review
Public sector unions had voiced their frustrations, citing poor implementation and a lack of transparency in the salary review process. Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg had acknowledged that the ‘Dvuladvula’ payments had been rushed, which contributed to the errors. He explained that the processing of backpay accumulated salary differences from previous months was one of the primary causes of the confusion.
When backpay was paid out as a lump sum, it pushed some employees into higher tax brackets, triggering steep deductions under the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. Ministry of Public Service Principal Secretary Mthunzi Shabangu confirmed that the necessary corrections would be made in time for the November salary payments. “We are looking for a smoother implementation this month. And once again, appeals must be taken to the various government ministries,” he said.
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