By Vincent Gunde
The past ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says it is deeply concerned with the secrecy surrounding the Malawi-Israel workers deal where over 221 youths were picked by an Israeli plane straight to farms and estates in a country which is currently at the height of war with Gaza.
The party, has however,demanded an open and honest process surrounding the Malawi-Israel labour export deal condemning the secrecy and lack of transparency in how the youths are recruited and that Government should provide convincing safety and security guarantees as opposed to the conflicting statements that are coming from different government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Party has also demanded the Chakwera-led Government to clear itself from the bribery allegations observing that it is not clear as to what commitments government has made on behalf of the nation that it received 60 million US Dollars involving President Chakwera, Minister of Homeland Security Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma and Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda.
In a statement dated November 29, 2023 signed by its Spokesperson Shadric Namalomba,DPP says it believes in cordial and friendly diplomatic relations that exist between Malawi and other nations and looks forward to a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.
The party says the Chakwera administration has failed to say the truth regarding the whole labour export deal observing that strangely, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has claimed to have no knowledge of the deal.
The Party says instead of the Minister of Labour providing technical details of the labour export to Israel, it is the MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka and Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu contradicted Mkaka saying the deal is championed by private recruitment agencies with no involvement of government.
According to the party, this raises security and safety concerns in light of the ongoing war between Israeli and Palestinian armed group-Hamas observing that there is no guarantee that the youth will be safe considering the escalation of conflict in the Middle East countries.
“It is clear that Chakwera is no longer interested to resuscitate the local economy for the benefit of the youths,’ reads part of the statement.
The main opposition party says it has noted with a great concern that labour export will kill the Malawi economy as many youths will be enticed and hoodwinked into believing that working abroad is the best thing expressing fears that the brain drain will create a labour deficit in Malawi wondering if this is what Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance meant creating one million jobs.
The party also says it has sadly noticed that there are so many graduates, teachers, nurses and doctors that Chakwera’s government is failing to employ observing that the youths are jostling to go abroad running away from the pathetic economic conditions created by Chakwera’s administration.
It has further noted that under Chakwera’s led government, public debt has risen from K4.6 trillion to K12.56 trillion in a space of 3 years saying no jobs can be created in an economy so poorly managed resulting to 90 percent of Malawians unemployed, youth and women living in poverty and everyone has become destitute surviving on begging and handouts.
DPP has finally warned President Chakwera that it will hold him accountable if any distress happens to the youths in Israel, and if these labour exports turn into formalized human trafficking assuring Malawians that freedom is coming tomorrow it has solutions to redeem youths and all Malawians from the suffering and economic hardships.
