In a rare occurrence, the Malawian government is receiving praise, this time from the Board of Human Rights Consultative Committee and its network of 97 local and international NGOs.
The committee, along with various voices in the country, has expressed its views on recent developments, including devaluation and the labor deal with Israel.
HRCC Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba emphasized the importance of objectivity, patriotism, and sincere advice for the nation to progress, acknowledging the existence of multiple perspectives on the issues.
“As such, we implore on Government and all stakeholders and citizens to consider their thoughts on the various selected matters of national concern,” said Mkwezalamba.
He hailed Government decision to devalue the Kwacha by 44%.
“As HRCC we seriously opine that the devaluation was a necessary evil which must be embraced and accepted as one solution to the Forex challenges that prevented our manufacturing sector to flourish.
“We have learnt sadly that we could also not meet the targets to procure the requisite fertilizer for AIP due to the same shortage. It is our hope that the long fuel queues we experienced in September will no longer resurface as we continue making gains on this path,” he said.
Mkwezalamba said HRCC is happy particularly to note that this devaluation is effectively correcting supply-demand imbalances and countering arbitrage opportunities that had arisen in the market.
He observed that of late the Reserve Bank of Malawi, has since reported that “spot checks on some market players indicate that the market is able to clear import bills” at the new rate, as per statement signed by Mr. Wilson Banda- Governor of the central bank on 13th November 2023 and promised to monitor the situation.
Commenting on lsrael labour deal, Mkwezalamba hailed the deal as a game changer since it has been there before.
He opined that in recognition of the potential for migration to contribute to socio-economic development, migration governance was, for the first time, included in the 2030 Global Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) formulated in 2015.
He said that it is widely acknowledged that, in order to maximize the developmental impact of migration, there is need for regional and national migration policies and programmes that promote good governance and the protection of migrant workers and their families.
He said the need for effective migration policies is also clearly emphasized in the International Labour Standards governing migration for employment.
He said as CSO leaders, they are glad to learn that despite the negative connotation the programme has received, the beneficiaries have proved critics wrong showcasing that they are not going to fight and that their condition of stay is better off than those captured in the 2013 for Thai nationals when they just went to Israel.
He said due to global pressure the conditions have been improved hence the youths will not be subjected to the fears and conditions as raised by other nationals.
“HRCC fully supports the initiative and makes recommendations below for a robust and all-inclusive initiative to benefit Malawi, ” he said.
