Police teargas youths pushing for Israel jobs
Youths who gathered at the Capital Hotel Roundabout in Lilongwe yesterday to protest against delays to process their travel to Israel for jobs scampered for life after police fired teargas to disperse them.
The youth were seen running in all directions in shock as they thought that at this moment they were in talking terms with the police at the scene.
Some of the youth run towards the Bingu International Convention Centre complex and Sunbird Capital but the Police followed them to an extent of firing tear gas into the BICC compound.
The youth had earlier in the day gathered at the Kamuzu Mausoleum within the City Centre, before moving to the roundabout along the Presidential Way in their pursuit to deliver their grievances to President Lazarus Chakwera who was scheduled to pass by the area enroute to Dowa District for an official engagement.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Tapson Maganga said they were demonstrating to get their message heard by government to facilitate speedy processing of their travel to Israel for farm jobs.
He said the group was part of about 2 000 youths given job offers but have been waiting for their trip since November.
Said Maganga, “We were told that we can’t leave for Israel until government signs an MoU [memorandum of understanding] with the Israeli government and it seems that government is doing things at a very slow pace.”
Ministry of Labour spokesperson Nellie Kapatuka in an interview yesterday confirmed that the MoU between Malawi and Israel on the labour export deal was yet to be signed. She assured that processes were underway.
She said: “The two sides are still discussing the finer details of the MoU and as soon as they have finished they are going to sign.”
Israel has since limited to 2 500 the number of Malawians who can work in farms when the MoU is signed to facilitate recruitment resumption, it has emerged. Under the new arrangement, the contract period for new Malawian workers has also been reduced from five to two years.
During a meeting with the Malawi delegation in Jerusalem earlier this year, Israeli Minister of Economy Nir Barakt said they needed to think about exporting 100 000 workers across sectors
