Self-exiled former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi says many Zimbabwean university graduates and professional workers are enquiring anxiously about how they can qualify for jobs as farm labourers in Israel.
This comes after the Government of Malawi entered into an agreement with Israel to send thousands of young men and women to work on Israeli farms.
According to Malawian Member of Parliament, Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka, the youths will be earning US$1 500 per month each.
Whilst some prominent African political commentators have criticised Malawi for the deal with Israel, saying it shows the continent has a dearth of progressive leadership, Mzembi said that he has received a lot of messages from Zimbabweans asking how they can get the jobs. Said Mzembi:
For the ask, which African Country pays USD$1500 to farm labourers? And since we are only hearing from armchair white-collar critics on the Malawi – Israel labour deal dubbed modern-day slavery, can we hear from potential farm labourers whether they would turn down this offer in view of its criticism?
I hear many Teachers, Nurses, Bank Tellers, Hotel workers, Policemen and soldiers are saying they would rather be these farm labourers on high-tech Israeli farms than khaki & white-collar workers in Zimbabwe earning USD $250 / ZW$RTGS.
Mzembi argued that African countries do not have the capacity to absorb thousands of graduates who are churned out by their universities and colleges. He said:
You have no absorption capacity for all the graduates you are churning out like confetti and no internal market to support them in addition to a lack of innovation & creativity in job creation.
Job creation cannot happen without insistence on value addition and beneficiation of all raw materials and primary production; without import substitution; without authentic Buy Zimbabwe, and without following our jobs where we are exporting unprocessed production and raw materials.
For example, we need Lithium and Chrome job quotas in China, Gold and diamond job quotas in Dubai, Belarus, Russia etc. We must think deeper.
President Lazarus McCathy Chakwera’s administration said exporting farm labourers to Israel was to fulfil its commitment to creating jobs and empowering young people.
Meanwhile, Mkaka, who is the current MP for Lilongwe Mpenu Constituency and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,
Israel has only picked Malawi in Africa to benefit from this programme, adding that some countries in Africa have been pressuring Israel to include them.
Mkaka admitted that there are risks associated with the policy but added “There is no return without a risk!”
More: Pindula News
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