By John Ikani
Malawi’s government is set to dispatch 5,000 young people to engage in agricultural work on Israeli farms, a decision drawing criticisms after 221 individuals were sent there last weekend.
“We are looking at an initial figure of around 5,000, that’s what we are targeting now,” shared Malawi Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu during a Tuesday BBC Newsday interview.
“Others [Malawians] have been there for more than five years, and we’re just adding to those figures.”
Minister Kunkuyu defended the move, asserting that it aligns with the government’s ongoing initiative to provide employment opportunities for young people, both domestically and internationally.
“This has been happening in Malawi for decades, and we’ve been exporting young people to countries in Africa and outside Africa,” he added.
Criticism arose from Malawian opposition leader Kondwani Nankhumwa, who, during a BBC Newsday interview on Monday, accused the government of jeopardizing Malawians by sending them to a country embroiled in conflict.
In response, Minister Kunkuyu emphasized that Israel has assured Malawi that its citizens will be stationed in secured areas unaffected by the ongoing conflict.
The Malawian contingent is poised to replace some of the 10,000-plus foreign farm workers who departed Israel due to the war.
