MALAWI’S President Lazarus Chakwera is facing public backlash over the secrecy surrounding his government’s decision to send about 221 young people to work on farms in Israel. The airlifting of these individuals via an Israeli Airbus A321-251 plane overnight on Saturday has triggered discontent among many Malawians, especially considering the clandestine nature of the operation.
The move follows a recent $60 million aid package from Israel to Malawi, raising questions about the connection between the financial assistance and the labour export initiative. Labour Ministry Principal Secretary Labour Wezi Kayira defended the decision, stating that exporting labour to countries like Israel is a strategy to create jobs for the youth and generate foreign exchange for the Southeastern African nation, which has a population of 20 million.
Kayira explained that the programme aims to benefit both the individuals working in Israel and the nation as a whole. He added that a portion of the wages earned by the youth will cover their living costs in Israel, while the remainder will be remitted to personal accounts in Malawi, contributing to the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Despite these explanations, Gift Trapence, the chairman of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, a civil rights group, criticised the government for the lack of transparency surrounding the labour export deal with Israel. Trapence condemned the secrecy and insisted that the government’s actions in labour export should be transparent and open to public scrutiny.
Opposition leader in the Malawi parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa, raised concerns about the government’s decision to keep the labour export deal secret. He argued that the government knew it was entering into an ‘evil transaction’ by engaging in such an agreement with Israeli companies, especially considering the ongoing conflict in the region. Nankhumwa questioned the wisdom of sending Malawian youth to work in a country involved in a conflict.
The Israeli Agriculture Ministry has reported that a significant number of workers, including Palestinians, have left the country’s farms due to various factors, including restrictions imposed after attacks on October 7. As a result, the Israeli government is actively seeking to recruit around 5,000 workers from other countries, including Malawi.
The controversy surrounding the secret labour deal with Israel has brought to light concerns over transparency, the safety of the Malawian youth working abroad, and the diplomatic implications of such agreements. As criticism mounts, the government faces calls for greater openness and accountability in its decisions regarding international labour partnerships.
