MONTHLY REPORT--SWAZILAND BUREAU--MARCH 1982

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100150007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 19, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 5, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

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5 April 1982
MMB-2004
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report--Swaziland Bureau--March 11982
I. GENERAL
Ambassador Matheron announced that he is to be
replaced within the next few months as part of the
State Department's normal rotation of ambassadors.
The State Department advised him that his replacement
has been picked, but that the name was not being given
out. As of month's end, no one at post knew the name
of the State Department's choice. Ambassador Matheron,
who has been in Mbabane almost 2 and a half years,
plans to depart 24 May. Under normal procedures,
his replacement is not expected here until at least
a month later.
II. OPERATIONS
A. Monitorial
Job offers have been accepted by the bureau's
three top applicants, all Swazis, and the necessary
processing steps to bring them on board are in
progress. The French applicant is expected to
start on 13 April, while one of the Afrikaans
applicants should be able to start shortly thereafter.
The second Afrikaans applicant was required to
give six weeks' notice to the school at which
he teaches so will not be able to start until
mid-May.
B. Communications
1. After two solid weeks of tireless effort
and constant attention, bureau engineer
, assisted by TDY'er was
a aye to overcome several nagging pro ems
with the bureau's communications circuit and
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complete the transfer of the circuit from the
Embassy to the bureau. The difficulties included
bad relays, circuit problems at the Johannesburg
PTT and a lack of expertise at the local PTT,
where inexperienced personnel at one point had the
wires for the circuit reversed. The problem was
finally traced to the incompatibility of the bureau's
Extel B-315 equipment with the circuit when the
Extel TD's were used to send traffic. The circuit
was finally made operational when an Addmaster
tape reader was substituted as the operative TD
in place of the Extels.
2. One of the bureau's teletypist applicahts
accepted a job offer during the month, though the
need to give a month's notice to her present
employer will delay her EOD until early May.
Two other applicants are considering job offers.
One of the Embassy's former teletype operators,
who presently works for the Peace Corps as a
secretary, is also very interested in a job and
an effort will be ma-de_t.o__overco.me the technicalities
of--her Peace Corps emnl n,vment
C. Technical
The bureau's top tech applicant accepted a
job offer, but will not be able to start immediately.
He is employed by the Swazi Government, which trained
him, and they require either three months' notice
or the reimbursement of three months' salary. He is
trying to arrange a loan to pay back his salary,
but it will probably be three months before he can
start work.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. The Post FSN Classification Panel met twice
during the month to grade the bureau's position
descriptions. Unfortunately, the classification
system used, based on a Navy personnel system,
does not readily lend itself to grading professional-
level positions. That, plus an unfortunate air of
provincialism on the part of the other participants,
led to a lengthy debate on bureau grades. A problem
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developed immediately over the bureau's basic
monitorial position, which was graded too low to
allow the hiring of the bureau's top applicants.
After a written appeal to the Ambassador and a further
debate within the Country Team, the panel agreed
at its second meeting to raise the grading by one
grade, thus making it possible to offer sufficient
salaries to attract the top applicants. The
tech position was also graded one grade lower
than it should have been, but that did not prevent
recruitment of the bureau's top applicant.
2.
as the bureau's part-time secretary. She had
been brought on board as a regular employee
in Washington just prior to leaving for Swaziland,
and thus her employment here is a continuation
of her Hqs employment.
B. Building and Grounds
1. A local German contractor has been given the
contract to renovate the bureau, knocking down
several walls and constructing several new ones,
completely renovating the lighting and doing
other necessary interior work to make the former
residence into a bureau. The work, which will start
5 April, is expected to take 4-6 weeks.
2. An order for three antenna masts has been placed
with a local firm, which will handle the construction
and installation work. The masts will be 10
meters tall, below the level of the trees on the
bureau property, and painted a greenish color to
make them as inconspicuous as possible. Approval
has been received from the Mbabane Town Council
to erect the masts, which should be ready by the
second week in April.
3. Title to the bureau and deputy chief's house
officially passed to the U.S. Government, thus.
ending the payment of rent on each. A house for the
engineer was located during the month, thus completing
the selection of staff residences; the purchases
started working 1 March
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of houses for the junior editor and bureau chief
are in various stages of processing.
IV. VISITS
A. Hqs Logistics Officer arrived on
TDY 5 March. to help b r
with installation work and to set up the bureau's
property records. He is scheduled to depart
18 April.
B. Ambassador Matheron and AID Swaziland Director
Julius Coles visited the bureau 31 March to see
the layout prior to renovation.
Chief, Swaziland Bureau, FBIS
cc: Chief, Abidjan Bureau
STAT
STAT
STAT
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