Malawians are expressing surprise after the government clarified it is not involved in recruiting youths for the Israeli labor export program. The government stated that the recruitment is managed solely by the Israeli authorities.
This clarification comes after about 1,500 job seekers, led by Dingiswayo Kumwenda, sought intervention from Ombudsman Grace Malera. On July 23, 2024, the group filed a complaint accusing the government of only selecting 20% of the original applicants for interviews, favoring a new batch instead.
Ombudsman Malera responded by inviting Ministry of Labour Principal Secretary Chikondano Mussa to an inquiry session on August 13, 2024. Malera’s letter, dated August 5, 2024, noted that the job seekers felt they were treated unfairly since they had already met the requirements and incurred costs before the government took over the program from private agencies.
She noted that the group claims some members were excluded from the interview shortlist, believing this to be unjust since they were assured of being prioritized.
In response to the submissions from both the ministry and the job seekers, Malera issued a follow-up letter on August 16, 2024, inviting the Private Employment Agencies Association, Workers for Arava, and Lions Recruitment Agency to a meeting.
Kumwenda alleged that the ministry secretly sent a list of 671 names to Israel to select 500 applicants based on an existing labor order.
However, Mussa denied that only 20% of the initial applicants were considered, stating that the actual figure was approximately 80%. She emphasized that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines the recruitment process clearly and would not be compromised for personal interests.
Article 7 of the MoU requires the ministry to send the names of shortlisted candidates to the Population and Immigration Authority for review, after which the Israeli agency will conduct local interviews.
The MoU was signed in April this year by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo and Israeli Minister Israel Katz in Tel Aviv.