By Pemphero Malimba:
Youths under the banner Israel Job Seekers held a protest Monday to compel the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) to intervene in the recruitment process for young people seeking work in Israel.
The youths entered the OPC premises at Capital Hill around 10am, carrying placards with various messages.
Among other demands, the youths want the OPC to facilitate the dismissal of Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje and Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Chikondano Mussa, whom they accuse of mishandling the recruitment process.
- Advertisement -
They also want the government to revise the recruitment process by allowing private recruitment agencies to resume their roles.
- Advertisement -
This stands in contrast to the current procedure, where the government, in partnership with its Israeli counterparts, oversees the process.
Upon arriving at OPC, officials led by OPC Director of Administration Maxwell Tsitsi engaged the youths in a closed-door meeting.
According to IJS Vice Chairperson Yotam Ng’ambi, they were advised to submit their concerns in writing.
“We would like the government to clear the agencies. The agencies initiated this programme, so we want the government to allow them to continue what they started.
- Advertisement -
“The government should clear the agencies because they assured us at the Ombudsman’s office that they still have the capability and potential to send us, provided they are permitted by the government to do so,” Ng’ambi said.
He argued that the recruitment process conducted by the agencies would result in more young people securing employment in Israel.
OPC had yet to respond to the matter.
Labour rights activist Bright Limani urged the government to consider permitting private recruitment agencies to participate in the process.
“However, these agencies must be closely supervised and monitored by the government to prevent unscrupulous individuals from exploiting young people and abandoning them in foreign countries,” Limani said.
Last month, Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu told The Daily Times that the government cannot change the arrangement or reinstate the agents, as the government-to-government arrangement is the wish of the Israeli Government.
Earlier this year, the government of Malawi signed a government-to-government agreement with their Israeli counterparts regarding the recruitment of young people to work in Israel.
Previously, independent recruitment agencies conducted the recruitment exercise, which saw many young people being airlifted from Malawi to Israel for work in that country’s agricultural sector.
