MBABANE – Members of Parliament serving on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have expressed concern over government’s financial position and urged authorities to honour their commitment to pay the outstanding 85 per cent salary review backpay owed to civil servants in July.
The issue arose during the appearance of the Ministry of Finance before the committee, where legislators questioned officials on government’s ability to meet its financial obligations amid reports of budgetary pressures and delayed payments to some suppliers.
Somntongo Member of Parliament Sandile Nxumalo said there was growing concern about whether government would be able to fulfil the promise made to thousands of public servants.
“I doubt there is money. We hope that when July comes, those who were promised money get it,” said Nxumalo.
The July payment forms part of a salary review agreement concluded between government and public sector unions in 2025. Under the agreement, government paid 15 per cent of the backpay in October 2025, with the remaining 85 per cent scheduled for payment in July 2026. The salary review was the first major adjustment for civil servants in nearly a decade and carries a total cost estimated at over E1.6 billion.
Responding to concerns raised by MPs, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Vusi Dlamini attributed government’s financial challenges largely to budget overruns by ministries and government departments.
Dlamini said financial difficulties often arise when ministries spend beyond their approved allocations.
“What leads to financial challenges is usually budget overruns. Ministries spend far beyond their allocated budgets and that is where the financial problems start. If every ministry spent according to its allocation, there would not be these challenges,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when government expenditure continues to face intense scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about fiscal discipline and the sustainability of public finances.
Government has repeatedly assured civil servants that the July payment remains a priority. Earlier this year, officials from the Ministry of Public Service indicated that funds had been set aside in the 2026/27 budget to honour the commitment. Government stated that the July obligation would require more than E1 billion and warned that additional spending demands could place pressure on the fiscus.
Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko previously told legislators that more than E600 million had already been secured in the national budget towards the outstanding salary review payments and reiterated government’s commitment to honouring the agreement reached with workers.
The national budget approved by Parliament earlier this year also made provision for the implementation of the outstanding salary review commitments.
Economic analysts have suggested that the payments could boost consumer spending and provide relief to thousands of households, many of which have been waiting for the balance of the salary review backpay since last year.
However, concerns raised before the PAC indicate that some lawmakers remain sceptical about government’s ability to balance its growing expenditure commitments while maintaining fiscal stability.
For thousands of civil servants, attention is now firmly fixed on July, when government is expected to honour what has become one of the most significant commitments made to public sector workers in recent years.
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