By Pemphero Malimba:
Young people associated with a group called Israel Job Seekers are pinning their hopes on Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to advocate for their prioritisation in the recruitment process for agricultural jobs in Israel.
It is not clear how many workers the Middle East country is still interested in employing from Malawi.
On Friday last week, the Ministry of Labour closed the application window for prospective workers bound for Israel.
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And the ‘Israel Job Seekers’, with some 1,500 youths as members, fear they might be left out despite having been pushing for their stakes for months.
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The group’s chairperson Dingiswayo Kumwenda said they expect that MHRC, to whom they have submitted their complaint, will engage relevant government authorities on their behalf.
“We contacted MHRC to ensure that the government gives us priority in the recruitment for Israel jobs. We hope MHRC will exert its influence so that the government recognises our need for prioritisation in this employment opportunity,” Kumwenda said.
MHRC responded to the youth in a letter signed by Complaints Intake Officer Fyness Kalolokesya, which indicated that the complaint was being evaluated.
Kalolokesya said the matter had been referred to the commission’s deputy director for economic and social cultural rights.
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Meanwhile, Secretary for Labour Chikondano Mussa insisted in a statement that the recruitment process would be conducted without preference.
Mussa claimed government follows strict criteria for shortlisting candidates based on public announcements of job opportunities.
Malawi is set to export labour to Israel under an agreement signed earlier this year by the two governments.
Before government got involved, nearly 1,000 youths had already travelled to Israel to work in that country’s agriculture sector.
